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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28796364">There's no love like true love (if that exists)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MossyFlossy/pseuds/MossyFlossy'>MossyFlossy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Invisible Library - Genevieve Cogman</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:01:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>32,239</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28796364</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MossyFlossy/pseuds/MossyFlossy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Attending a dinner with potential signatories of the peace treaty should be a walk in the park but their hosts are strange and Irene quickly finds herself trapped in a world all of her own. Kai, Vale and Catherine rush to save her before it is too late and she is lost to them</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Irene/Kai (The Invisible Library)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter one</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="first-line-indent">Irene sometimes wondered why Kai spent so long on his outfit choices and shopping for new items to add to his practically bursting wardrobe, however, she had to admit that sometimes he was onto something. Normally, she wasn't one for light colours, but the pale gold dress had caught her eye in a shop window. The skirt was soft tulle, grazing the floor when she twisted this way and that. The bodice clung to her curves, cut just about as low as would be appropriate at the neckline, with straps that settled below her shoulders.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Kai leant against the door frame and let out a low whistle. “Madam Ambassador. I think that I am looking at the most beautiful woman in the entire world right now.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Only in this world?” A smile tugged at her lips.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I haven't seen every world out there, but I would hazard a guess at yes, you are.” She turned to look at him, raking her eyes over him, he’d been getting ready in the spare bedroom so that they weren't tripping over each other.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Kai wore dark blue as always, dark blue suit jacket and waistcoat, with a tie that was just a little darker than the skirt of her dress. He’d tied his hair back into his customary braid, though she could see smaller French braids worked into that with small beads in it that caught the light, flashing brightly.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I suppose that you look pretty good too.” She added a lip salve to her reticule. “Is the cab here?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Not yet.” He gave a one-shouldered shrug. “It’s not quite time to leave yet anyway.” Her shawl was draped over the end of the bed, technically Irene’s bed, but he always slept in it too, and held it out. Irene let him drape it around her shoulders. He kissed her forehead. “You do look absolutely beautiful.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">Irene’s blush painted her cheeks. “And you look handsome.” She said, before kissing his cheek. “I should check that Catherine is okay before we go.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Of course.” He nodded, before tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear, stroking his finger down the side of her throat and despite having just been wrapped up in her shawl, she shivered. Kai smirked, just like he always did when he eked that kind of reaction out of her.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Catherine was sat cross-legged in the lounge. “Are you sure that you will be okay alone here?” Irene asked, Catherine adjusted her glasses and looked up.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I don’t think that you could really rearrange.” Catherine said. “Besides, I’m a big girl, I can handle a few hours by myself.” Irene sighed.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Alright.” She’d never left Catherine alone in the house for longer than she could help it and certainly not late. “We have keys, so don’t forget to lock the front door, but don’t bolt it. Catherine nodded, having heard the safety talk twice that day. “Make sure that all of the windows and the back door are locked and bolted before you go to bed, we should be home by midnight.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I will be fine.” Catherine said firmly. “I will probably already be in bed by the time you get here.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Don’t forget to eat dinner.” Irene said. “Kai left you instructions and please don’t burn the house down. I think that is everything?” Someone rang the doorbell. “Right, I need to be going. If someone else comes to the house, don’t let them in. Vale has a key so he’ll let himself in if-”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Yes, I know.” Catherine sighed and nodded.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“And if anything happens, go straight to his or your uncle’s.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I know, Irene. Go and have fun?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“It’s a political meeting. I doubt it.” She muttered. “Alright, stay safe, eat dinner, do not be awake all night reading and… oh! There is some work on my desk that you can look at if you get bored and want a head start.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I’ll have a look. Try not to… die of boredom?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I will.” Kai caught her elbow. “We’ll see you in the morning.” Kai helped her up into the cab and had to decide between sitting opposite her or being able to sling an arm around her shoulder and take the small time that they would have before the cab picked up Sterrington on their way out of London.</p><p class="first-line-indent">He sat next to her and held her tight to his side, it was a small comfort before what was going to be an inevitably stressful night.</p><p class="first-line-indent">A formal dinner wasn't in itself stressful, but when you are trying to convince a pair of reclusive Fae (apparently brothers) to sign the peace treaty in the brief time that they were in the world, and it was hardly shaping out to be a fun time. It was hard enough getting them to agree to the dinner, though that had mainly been Sterrington and Irene, Kai had been surprised when he’d been invited to the dinner.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Will you be okay?” Irene asked, putting her hand on his knee.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Yes.” He put his hand on top of hers. “I managed in Paris just fine and these Fae will be nowhere near the power levels of the Princess or the Cardinal.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I meant your temper.” She replied. He huffed loudly and squeezed her hand. “Though, I suppose that you are right. You are still tense.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I’m always tense.” He replied. “Until they sign the treaty, we are open to attack, and even then, until we prove that they signed it, so not until tomorrow morning probably, they could do something.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“And you say that I am the paranoid one.” She sighed. “We have no reason to believe that they wish to harm us.” They had certainly been reluctant to talk and had taken some convincing that signing the treaty would be advantageous to them. And they had made no promise to sign the treaty, they had until the end of the dinner to finalise the agreement and get them to sign. So probably three hours of being on edge.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“You are the paranoid one.” He said. “I’m tense with reason.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“That is still paranoia, my dear, you are just in denial.” She replied, she’d rested her head on his shoulder but with that, she looked up at him and smiled. “Acceptance is the first step to dealing with your problem.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Acceptance is the last step.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Oh.” He kissed her temple before shifting away to sit opposite her as they pulled up outside of Sterrington’s building. “Later.” He said softly before settling back as the door was opened by the cabbie. “Madam Sterrington, I hope that you are having a pleasant evening.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Pleasant enough, your highness, Miss Winters.” She said as she settled into her corner of the cab. Kai knocked on the window, and the cab pulled away again. Irene wished that she’d brought something to read, Sterrington wasn't one for conversation, she and Kai were hardly the kinds for small talk, not when their past conversations had so often been pillow talk, small talk was pretty pointless after that behaviour.</p><p class="first-line-indent">It took about half an hour for the landscape outside to change, it was already growing dark when they left the city and buildings grew further and further apart until it was only the occasional barn amongst fields of sheep.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The house that they finally drew up outside wasn't the largest country manor that Irene had seen, but it was large. There was already a butler waiting outside for them as the cabbie opened the door and offered both Irene and Sterrington a hand down, Kai jumped down by himself.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The butler was silent as he took coats and Kai’s hat, hanging them up, then they were lead into a sitting room. “Masters Aeron and Alwyn will be with you soon.” He said, bowing low before leaving, the door clicking shut loudly behind him. Kai arched a brow.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Well,” Sterrington frowned and crossed her arms. “How poor mannered must they be that they don’t even meet us immediately?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“It could be worse.” Irene was more interested in the narrow cases of books framing a large fireplace, which was not lit. She also couldn’t spot any radiators in the room, and without her coat, she was growing cold.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The books were disappointing, or at least, the condition of them was. Show books without so much as a speck of dust to them let alone any signs of having been read. It was a fairly mundane collection too, nothing that she hadn't read before.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“We haven't arrived early.” Kai said. “I suppose that is just a power play, making us wait for them, rather than waiting for us. It is still annoying.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Better a little bit irritating than a lot.” Irene mused as she tried to find a book that had been read. The whole room was dark and cold, sending an uncomfortable shiver down her spine. It wasn't just literally cold. Everything had an air of being untouched, unused, despite the lack of dust. Even the sofa looked unused and all of the seats had stiff backs. There was no comfort in this room.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She moved to stand nearer to Kai as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and she resisted the urge to start nervously fidgeting. It was a small comfort that Kai seemed to be feeling the same discomfort. He reached out to touch her hand before remembering where they were and withdrawing.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The door opened again and they all turned to it. Two men stood in the doorway. They were the exact same height, with the exact same face wearing the exact same expression, however, the one on the left wore all black and had pale hair, whilst the one on the right wore pale grey, and had dark hair.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I am so sorry that we kept you waiting.” The one in grey said, Irene wasn't entirely sure which one was which, and with a surreptitious glance at Sterrington, she was oddly comforted by the fact that the Fae seemed to be as lost as she was. “Please, come with us into the dining room, we have drinks and the dinner is almost ready.” He stepped into the room and offered Irene his elbow. “May I, madam?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Thank you.” Irene bowed her head and slipped her arm through his. “Thank you for inviting us into your home.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Anything for a representative of the Library.” He said, starting to show the way to the dining room, his brother (they had to be identical twins?) stepped back and out of the way. “And such a beautiful one at that.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">Well, Kai probably wouldn't be too happy now, not that he’d been chipper to begin with. She resisted the urge to look to him and reassure him, he was a grown man and she was hardly the one to be responsible for his jealousy.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The grey Fae pulled her seat out for her, and the black Sterrington’s seat. Kai pulled out his own seat. A servant stepped forward in silence and began to fill their glasses with wine unbidden.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“So,” The one in black said. “You are the three treaty representatives.” He looked around the table with cold eyes. “I must say, that you aren’t much to look at.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Behave Alwyn.” The grey Fae, that must be Aeron, hissed. “I apologise for my brother’s attitude, he is much more… cynical than I am and was the one that needed the persuasion to meet tonight.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I just don’t see the point.” Alwyn picked up his glass of wine, white. “We were never involved in the fightings, so why should we sign a treaty to agree to not fight?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“It offers you a greater deal of protection than you have now.” Sterrington said, looking to Kai.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“You may have never been one for the fighting amongst our kin, but the treaty outright forbids it and I know that, on the dragon side of it, our monarchs will harshly punish those found to be breaking it.” Kai explained. “It means that you are protected against those who are interested in fighting.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“And theft from Librarians?” Alwyn looked rather pointedly at Irene.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I didn't see anything interested in the room your butler left us in.” She shrugged, and for a second, Alwyn smiled. It was an unsettling smile that reminded her of creatures with far too many big teeth.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“No, I don’t think that you would.” He replied. “I prefer non-fiction anyway, your Library likely has no interest in… human anatomy?” Irene could taste rotten fruit in her mouth and feel a weight across her shoulders. He was trying to scare her.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I have never been one for biology.” She replied faintly. “I did enjoy taking part in the chemistry experiments that we did in school though.” She pinned a bland, but pleasant smile to her lips as her brand began to prickle uncomfortably, he wasn't powerful enough to make it ache like sunburn, but he was trying.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“You have a school in your Library?” Aeron asked.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Of a sort.” Irene said. “But I was talking about the school that I attended before I joined the Library, when I was a child. The training that we do in the Library was very different to that.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Pickpocketing classes?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Amongst others.” She smiled.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The table was large and round. The brothers sat next to each other, Irene sat opposite them with Kai at her right side and Sterrington to her left. There was a small vase of flowers already wilting in the centre of the table.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The servants were silent as they filed into the room and served them a starter, salmon with some kind of crackers and a wedge of lemon. “I’ve never been one for eating a lot of meat.” Aeron explained. “I hope that you don’t mind fish.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">The dinner was good, but the conversation was incredibly stilted, with Aeron happily talking about anything that came to his mind, but Alwyn inserting the occasional snide comment. The didn't touch on the treaty, Aeron suggested saving that for when they’d finished eating and were more comfortable with one another. Kai was happy to agree to that, saying that discussions over coffee usually went better than over wine.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Do you have a favourite novel, madam Winters?” Alwyn asked as Irene savoured the first taste of a chocolate tart with some kind of fresh fruit compote on top. She swallowed and reached for her wine, now a fruity, sweet white, rather than the dry that had gone well with the primarily fish main course.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“It is so hard to pick a favourite.” She said. “I suppose that I shall always have a soft spot for ‘A Study in Scarlet.’”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Arthur Conan Doyle.” He said slowly with a nod. “I suppose that makes you Irene Adler?” Irene tried to not flush.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“It isn't uncommon for Librarians to chose names related to stories that they have read.” She shrugged. “Irene Adler was a favourite character of mine when I was younger, I will admit that. I wanted to choose a relatively mundane name though, so many Librarians with… painfully obvious pseudonyms, and I didn't want that.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I always thought that she was the intelligent type.” Aeron said. “Never the one to be a damsel in distress.” He arched a brow. “Are you?” Kai snorted and they all looked at him.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Sorry.” He said, smiling and shaking his head. “Irene being a damsel in distress? I think I’ll be long dead before that ever happens.” Irene smiled, taking that as the compliment that she was sure he meant it as.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I don’t like sitting back and letting other people fight my battles.” She said. “No, I don’t like being, as you put it, a damsel in distress.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“A shame.” Aeron smiled. “You’d fit perfectly into several Fae narratives.” Irene stiffened. “Sorry, I suppose that that isn't seen as a compliment to you as it would be to Fae.” He looked to Sterrington.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Some Fae would be more than happy to be a part of a stronger narrative.” She said. Irene could easily believe that, Fae with low levels of power would be quite content to be swept up into a new narrative for the sake of gaining themselves new powers.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She sometimes wondered if Catherine would drop everything to gain herself more power and more strength, if she wanted to be a Librarian because of her lover of literature, or if it was merely the next step in strengthening her link to her chosen archetype.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I am not Fae.” Irene said. “And I have no wish to be a part of anyone’s story. No offence.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“A shame.” Alwyn said. “You’d fit right in.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">They finished in uncomfortable silence, Sterrington occasionally wincing and rubbing at her temples in a way that Irene recognised and sympathised with.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I must apologise.” Sterrington said once they were finished. “I think I am developing a migraine. My head is hurting quite a great deal.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Maybe you should head back to London.” Aeron suggested. “I’m sure that we can get things dealt with without you here.” Sterrington looked to Irene and Kai.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“We can meet up tomorrow and discuss it all if we don’t get things signed tonight.” Irene suggested. “You should head back if you aren't feeling too well.” Kai nodded.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“We can deal with it.” Kai said. “I am sure that negotiations won’t take us too long to get through. Let’s meet up at the embassy tomorrow afternoon and we can go over it all then.” Sterrington nodded. “Drop us a message if you are still unwell and we can rearrange it.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Thank you.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I’ll call you a cab.” Alwyn said, standing up. “It shouldn’t be too long.” Irene always carried aspirin with her, mainly out of the habit of pushing the Language further than she should, and she offered them to Sterrington, who gratefully tossed two of them back.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Irene and Kai were shown into a lounge, much more comfortable than the first room that they’d been in, this one looked like it was actually used by at least one of the brothers, with a writing desk underneath the window, looking out onto the dark garden, the smell of lilies and plum was heady in the air.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“What do you think?” Kai asked in a low voice, touching Irene’s back as she stood and looked out of the window, it was threatening rain.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Aeron seems genuine.” She said. “Far too genuine at that, Alwyn is a harder read. I believe much more of what he says than his brother, oddly enough.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Aeron is very positive about almost everything.” Kai nodded. “Alwyn is the opposite, but it’s more believable, I know exactly what you mean.” His thumb rubbed circles on her back, gentle and soothing and Irene could feel herself begin to relax slightly. “At least the food was good.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“It really was.” She smiled. “At least we got a good dinner out of it, at the very least.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“And a nice long cab ride all alone back to London.” Kai smirked and Irene rolled her eyes. “Hopefully this won't take too long and we won’t be exhausted when we get home.” He lowered his voice. “The dress looks stunning on you, Irene, but I can’t wait to get you out of it again.” Irene shivered pleasantly.</p><p class="first-line-indent">He tugged her over to the sofa and nudged her onto one side of it, and he was just about to sit down on the other side when the door opened, and Irene jumped to her feet again, realising that Kai had clearly heard their hosts approaching the room.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Thank you for waiting.” Aeron said. “Hopefully madam Sterrington will be feeling better soon.” He had brought a tray of coffee things into the room and began to pour cups for them. “Sugar?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">It was good coffee, expensive probably, Irene decided as she took a sip. Cream and sugar to finish it off, whilst Kai’s was left black. She had never managed to appreciate the taste of strong coffee like he could.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Kai and the brothers seemed to be thrashing out the minutia without her really having to interject, though she did once when Alwyn spat out a particularly harsh insult toward the dragon monarchs, putting Kai immediately on edge. She touched his arm, feeling him begin to relax almost on the instinct of feeling her fingers on him, calmly reminding Alwyn that he wasn't in a place to be flinging insults when signing the treaty would be much more of a benefit to him than it would be for the dragon signatories.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Kai had the papers for them to sign and laid them out on the table for the brothers to read over before signing, and he shot Irene a look of intense satisfaction as they were finally done talking, two cups of coffee later.</p><p class="first-line-indent">And there were three of him, blurring together. Irene blinked her suddenly very tired eyes. The room was swaying. She looked from Kai, who was now looking at her to apprehension, to the brothers, who smiled at her.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Wha…” Words were hard to get out. She looked down at the cup of coffee in her hands. Of course. Something had been put into her drink. Probably Kai’s too, as he started to his feet and immediately staggered, dropping back down into his seat.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She tried to form words in the Language, anything to protect them, but her tongue felt wrong in her mouth and she was unable to get out a word.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The cup fell from her hands and shattered on the floor in a spray of porcelain and coffee dregs.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Good night.” Aeron said with a cold smile, his first genuine smile. And suddenly, the world was black and cold and Irene slipped into drugged oblivion.</p><p class="first-line-indent"><br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="first-line-indent">For Catherine, the first indicator that she was alone the next morning was that no one had come in and bolted the door in the night, she noticed that immediately, staring at it as she got to the bottom step, before turning around and running back up the stairs to Irene’s room.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The bed wasn’t unmade. Irene had never been one for straightening the covers when she’d got up, and Kai would still be there even if Irene had gone to the Library early. Irene would have told her if she was leaving that early.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Besides, Irene was not a morning person, for her to be at the Library at seven in the morning? That was simply unheard of without something being very wrong first. And Catherine would know if something had gone wrong, she wouldn't be left to sleep her way through an emergency.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She quickly dressed and made herself a piece of toast, eating that whilst she was waiting for the post to arrive, hoping that maybe Irene had sent a note explaining that maybe they had stayed the night. That was the most reasonable explanation after all, negotiations had taken longer than anticipated and they’d been offered a room for the night.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Only there was no note when the post did arrive, the morning paper did, and she read through that quickly, Irene may have left a message for her through that, she’d mentioned it before and maybe… But no, still no word, so Catherine grabbed the small knife that Irene had insisted she learn to use and always carry, and hailed a cab to Vale’s.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She rang the doorbell, nervously looking up and down the street, restlessly tapping her toe as she heard the door unlocked and found herself looking at Vale’s housekeeper. “Miss Catherine.” The housekeeper had clearly not been up for long. “I don’t think mister Vale is awake yet, but you are more than welcome to wait for him.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I think I need to wake him up. Irene and Kai haven't been here, have they?” She pulled her gloves off and shoved them into her coat pockets, before starting on unbuttoning that.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“No, I haven't seen them for a few days… Oh. Yes, I will start on some coffee whilst you wake him up.” Catherine nodded, glad that Vale had a housekeeper with the wherewithal to know why someone would be knocking on Vale’s door that early and asking after their guardian.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Vale, get out of bed.” She said, banging on his door. “I think something’s gone wrong!” She kept banging until she heard movement, and then she stepped back, rocking back on her heels as she waited to see if Vale was actually awakened by her racket.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Let me get dressed.” Vale’s voice was thick with sleep. “I’ll be five minutes. Is Winters or Strongrock with you?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“That’s what has gone wrong.” Catherine said, she tried to sound like she wasn't on the verge of freaking out, Irene had said to go to Vale if there was any trouble, but Catherine hadn't been prepared for that to actually happen, she’d put it down to Irene’s paranoia, not an actual risk. How wrong she’d been.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I’ll be in the study as soon as I’m dressed.” Catherine was pacing the room with coffee in hand when he came out. “When did you last see them?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“They went out for dinner last night.” Catherine said. “Irene promised that she’d be home by midnight at the very latest.” Vale arched a brow. “Look, she wouldn't have stayed the night without sending a message, I waited. The post arrived. No message from her.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Do you know where they went?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“No. Somewhere with Sterrington. They were meeting with two brothers to discuss the treaty. Two Fae.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Right.” Vale started to grab reference books. “Do you have their names?” Catherine had stopped to grab Irene’s own reference book and diary before leaving. She flicked through the diary.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Alwyn and Aeron.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Surname?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I don’t think she wrote it down, hang on.” She had both hands full, so she put the coffee and books down and finally sat down so that she could look through the reference book.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Did you meet them?” Vale asked. He could tell how shaken Catherine was. He’d have thought that Irene would have better prepared a student of hers, Kai had never been this shaken if Irene vanished for a few hours. He supposed that Catherine had never been in trouble without Irene there too. She’d never been thrown into the deep end before.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“No.” Catherine said, shaking her head. “I think they just exchanged letters before yesterday. Sterrington may have met them though.” She snapped the book shut. “Maddox.” She thumbed the edges of the pages, glad to have something to fidget with that wasn't picking at the skin around her nails.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I have no one by those names in my notes.” Vale mused. “I’ll send a message to Singh, to see if he’s heard of any incidences that it could be due to, and then a visit to madam Sterrington, followed by your uncle.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“If Sterrington is locatable.” Catherine pointed out. “She could be with them.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Then we’ll just to have to hope that your uncle makes himself useful for a nice change of events.” Vale smiled, far too much energy behind it. “Finish your coffee and tell me what you do know, and then we are leaving.”</p><hr/><p class="first-line-indent">Kai couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a hangover like this one. He woke up with his head pounding, mouth dry and feeling on the verge of throwing up. He opened his eyes and immediately regretted it. The room was dark, but not dark enough to his aching eyes.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The bed was rock hard beneath him.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Not his bed.</p><p class="first-line-indent">His bed was soft and his bed usually had Irene right next to him. He couldn’t hear her breathing or feel her warmth.</p><p class="first-line-indent">He opened his eyes again, slowly first, and began to look around the room.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Room was a kind word.</p><p class="first-line-indent">He jolted upright.</p><p class="first-line-indent">This was a prison cell. He was in a prison cell.</p><p class="first-line-indent">No chains and manacles held him, but he could recognise a jail cell easily enough, barred windows and door. He rubbed his temples and slowly swung his legs off the bed and staggered to his feet.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Oh good, you’re finally awake.” Someone said, leaning against the door and looking through the bars.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Where am I?” Kai’s mouth was painfully dry and his voice cracked. “I don’t remember…” He sat back down again as the room swam before his eyes, and groaned. He felt truly awful, like he’d contracted influenza and then invited someone to beat him around the head with a metal pole, just for good measure.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I’m not surprised, mate.” The guard said, laughing almost. “Don’t worry, just keeping you here until you sobered up, you never gave your cabbie your address before passing out. Drink a bit too much last night?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“There was a woman with me?” Kai said. “Irene. Is she in here too?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“You were dropped off by yourself.” The guard said. “She must have made her own way back.” Kai started to his feet and nearly fell over. “Easy there, mate. You’ve been sleeping for a while, not to mention that hangover you’re nursing.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“When am I allowed to leave?” Kai asked, trying not to worry. Maybe Irene had made her own way back? If he’d managed to make a fool of himself, he could hardly blame her for that. He didn't remember drinking any alcohol after dinner though…</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Let me get your belongings and you are free to leave. May I recommend flowers to apologise to your woman?” Kai scratched the back of his neck.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Probably a good idea.” He muttered. It took fifteen minutes before Kai was outside of the police station, with the morning light burning his eyes and making his head ache even more. He shoved his hands into his pockets, no wallet.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Scotland yard to Baker street was a relatively long walk, but by the time that he was at Vale’s door, his headache was mainly gone, as was the nausea. He still had his house keys, thank heavens, the ring also held a key to Vale’s front door, and he let himself in.</p><p class="first-line-indent">He shut the door behind him and took off his jacket, he’d had a hat the night before, but he wasn't entirely sure where that had gone, forgotten in some cab probably. Poor driver, short-changed out of quite the fair. He rubbed his face and slowly started up the stairs. The study was empty, as was Vale’s room. He groaned and collapsed onto the sofa that he usually shared with Irene.</p><p class="first-line-indent">He wasn't sure that he had the energy to finish the rest of the walk to the embassy, on the opposite side of Regent’s park from where Baker street was. He was exhausted from the first walk. Maybe he should check the kitchen, there wasn't usually a complaint about him helping himself to coffee.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Coffee…</p><p class="first-line-indent">There were two cups of coffee out. One barely touched, the other nearly empty. Vale was possibly on a case. He wanted to swear but that would probably require more effort than he could manage, so, instead, he sunk into the pillows and shut his eyes, maybe a short rest would…</p><p class="first-line-indent">He needed to find Irene, but his body felt so heavy and the thought of getting up made his head spin. He needed to do something but there was no strength left within him, whatever he’d had was still working its way through his body, wreaking havoc in subtle ways.</p><p class="first-line-indent">He couldn’t go hunting for Irene whilst barely able to stand, and there was the chance that she was at home and very angry at him. Hopefully, she was at home and simply angry with him. He prayed to his ancestors that she was safe somewhere and he was just paranoid in a post-drugged stupor.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Life was never quite that easy though, or safe. His last thoughts before he fell asleep were of Irene at the dinner, the way that the brothers had spoken to her. Surely they wouldn't have done anything, they’d signed the treaty. Right?</p><p class="first-line-indent">He was woken up by Catherine pinching his arm hard enough that he knew it was going to be bruising within the hour. “Where have you been?” She demanded, pinching him again until he batted her hand away and started to sit up. “And where is Irene?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“She’s not home?” He croaked. “Okay, is Vale with you?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Getting coffee.” She sat opposite him and folded her arms, clearly trying to imitate an annoyed Irene and not managing it in the slightest. “What happened to you? You look like you slept in a ditch.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Jail cell, actually.” He muttered, rubbing his temples. “Drunk tank. I don’t remember getting there. Or drinking heavily. Or where Irene went.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“What do you remember?” Catherine pressed him. Normally, he’d have told her off for her poor manners, but he could hear the barely restrained panic in her voice, the edge of worry biting into her words.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Sterrington wasn't well, she left early.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“We know, we’ve already been to see her.” Vale explained as he came in with coffee. “You were likely given some kind of narcotic and suffering the results of its after-effects, not unlike a rather nasty hangover.” Like Irene, Catherine carried aspirin, picking the habit up off her mentor, and she passed Kai the small pill pot.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I woke up about two hours ago in a Scotland yard jail cell, apparently I had passed out in a cab and he dropped me off there. I didn't have my wallet on me so I had to walk here.” He swallowed the tablets dry with a slight wince.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“No wonder you look awful.” Catherine said, somewhat sympathetically. “Irene hasn't sent a message to any of us, and you were possibly the last person to see her, right?” She looked to Vale, who was lighting his pipe.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I don’t like probably statements.” He mused. “Do you have an address for the brothers that you spoke with?” Kai nodded. “Excellent. You should get yourself cleaned up, I believe that you still have some clothes in the spare room.” Irene had asked Vale if they could keep a couple of changes of clothes in his spare room, in case they ever stayed the night short notice, or if something had happened, such as an impromptu dip in the Thames.</p><p class="first-line-indent">He tried to shower as quickly as he could, admittedly feeling far better after fifteen minutes underneath the hot spray. Water from pipes didn't have the same feel as flowing rivers, but it was a decent substitute in a pinch.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The beads of water carved tracks down his body as he scrubbed off the feeling of sweat that was sticky on his skin. It did little to work on the tension that had wound his muscles into tight knots that ached with his suppressed anxiety, only finding Irene again would release that.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“We were going to speak with Silver, but came back just in case you or Irene had come here to look for me.” Catherine explained when Kai came back into the study, braiding his wet hair. “Vale is getting a cab for us now.” Kai tiredly nodded.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Right.” He sighed. His head was still pounding despite the anachronistic medication. “Did anyone come by the house last night?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“No.” Catherine shook her head and started to pin her hat in place, standing on her tiptoes to use the mirror above the mantelpiece to make sure that it was on properly and that she hadn't mussed up her hair something awful, she had a habit of wearing it loose. “Everyone was exactly the same as how I had left it before going to bed, it’s why I knew that something was wrong.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">Kai nodded, normally Irene would praise her observational skills, but mimicry of that felt hollow to him, so he stayed silent.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Maybe she’s just in a different jail cell and you actually were just… pissed.” She tried to smile. He tried to laugh. “We just don’t know.” She hunched her shoulders in a way that Kai had come to know was her building up physical walls as much as metaphorical, she was waiting for something to go wrong, and was trying to protect herself against that kind of pain.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Maybe.” He said. “Come on, let’s go and talk to your uncle.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Irene's interlude- part one</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>Kai scuffed his toe at the tightly compacted earth of the garden, frowning at the sickly pale green-yellow of the grass, and then up at the overcast sky and smog that rarely gave them the sunlight that a good garden craved. The old house hadn't had a garden, and Vale’s didn't either. He hadn't mentioned it as being something that he had wanted whilst looking for an embassy building, but he couldn’t help the quiet burst of joy that he had felt when both he and Irene had found a house that they had liked with a garden. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>It was small and walled off on all sides, but it was a garden nonetheless. Irene didn't have many ideas for it, though suggesting that if they ever got a good summer there, it would be nice to be able to work outside in the shade of the house rather than cooped up in an overly warm study like they had their first summer in London. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>Kai’s wish for the garden had been more functional than aesthetic, though flower beds would have been nice to have, his main want was a bed of vegetables and herbs that he could use in the kitchen. But after examination of the low-quality soil and the lack of good light, he knew that it would be impossible to cult anything but the weediest of carrots, and there was no point in slaving over a bed of food that would cultivate anything that was actually edible. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>He sighed, and headed back inside, toeing off the simple pair of shoes that he’d moved to the back door. He padded down the hallway to the study. Irene was shelving some of her books, the ones that hadn't fit into her private study upstairs, she’d taken what must have been a room intended for storage and transformed it into a little space dedicated to her Librarian work, as it was, only a third of her books actually fitted in there and so she’d picked out the ones that she’d wanted up there, and the rest had been moved downstairs. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>What is the garden like?” She asked over her shoulder. </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>I suppose that it could be pleasant with some work.” He shrugged. “I don’t think it will ever be anything special, not with the pollution of this world. Maybe we should have found a home on the edge of London, Kew is lovely.” Irene liked the way that he called it home.</em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>I know.” She sighed. Kew was indeed lovely, the houses were easily triple the price though. They weren't lacking in funding, but she’d pointed out that the money would be better spent on modifications and security. “A central location is useful for other reasons though. We are near to several train stations, three different libraries, a police station, and Vale.” The last part had been a major factor for both of them, with the detective being a dear friend and highly needed ally, moving far from his Baker Street lodgings hadn't been what either of them had desired. “And a long commute for whenever we get a Fae ambassador would not be preferential.” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>They may want to live here too.” Kai pointed out. </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>Is it bad that I hope that they don’t?” She asked, turning to face him and leaning her shoulders against the bookcase, shaking out tired and stiff muscles from loading shelves for the past two hours, they had to be alphabetised, and now that the pair were no longer linked by the Library, a way to mark her books from his was essential. Luckily, Irene had always wanted an Ex Libris stamp and had spent much of the previous day going through her books and applying the mark to the reverse of the title pages if they weren't written on, before alphabetising all of their books in one collection in order to shelve them in a neat way.</em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>Are you saying that you want me all to yourself, madam?” He asked. Irene rolled her eyes to the ceiling and softly exhaled. </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>I wouldn't want to inflict you on anyone else.” She said. “I am cruel, but I am not that cruel.”</em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>I would never describe you as being cruel.” Kai said. “A bit mean when you steal all of the covers, but never cruel.” That was the real reason. She wanted to keep sharing a room with him, wanted to be able to seek the comfort in his embrace after a nightmare, wake up pressed against him still, breakfast in bed and all of the little things that she’d never had the chance to experience. </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>She wasn't about to say that though, that was far too revealing about her feelings. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>Maybe we should get some houseplants instead.” She suggested, jumping the topic. “Since we won’t have the best garden, why not bring that inside?” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>I like functional gardens.” Kai explained. “Houseplants look nice, but I was hoping to grow things that I could use in the kitchen. Herbs and such.” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>Fresh food is much better.” Irene mused. “And saves me from being dragged to farmers markets at not even seven in the morning.” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>You have to be early to get the best produce.” Kai sighed. “And you can watch the sunrise.” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>I’m much more of a sunset kind of woman.” Irene replied. “Why would I want to be awake ridiculously early when I can sleep in and then watch the sunset with a glass of brandy and a good book? Sunrise is too early for alcohol.” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>Unless it’s a bloody Mary?” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>Ugh, those things are disgusting.” She wrinkled her nose. “I would rather not drink one, thank you very much.” He smiled, ignoring her words, focusing on the light that was coming through the lace curtains, casting dappled lights across her cheeks and temple. He crossed the room and gently touched his lips to hers. </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>What is that for?” She asked. </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>You just look beautiful with the sunlight on you.” He smiled. “You’d look like an angel in the sunrise, but just as beautiful at sunset.” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>It was the following week, when almost everything was settled into place and it almost felt like home that Kai came into the kitchen to find Irene with brown paper bags of fragrant herbs and a few pots to go on the windowsill. “What’s this?” He asked. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>A garden.” She said, looking up. “I don’t have much of a green thumb, but hopefully, you can teach me?” Kai smiled. </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>Of course.” He said. “Let’s get started.” He kissed her temple. “You are just perfect, I hope that you know that, you are perfection.”</em></p><p class="first-line-indent">The memory started to fade around her, and suddenly she was watching it instead of living it. It had felt so real and yet… that conversation had been months ago, when they had started to live in the embassy. The garden was blooming on the kitchen windowsill, keeping the kitchen always filled with the strong scents of basil, oregano and rosemary, even when nothing was cooking.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She tried to follow the memory, holding onto the little things that she could remember (dirt under her fingernails, the taste of a basil leaf that she’d stolen to eat, Kai wiping mud over her forehead and smearing it across her skin), first walking and then running to try and catch up again as it got further and further, or was she being pulled away, and the running meant nothing?</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Stop!” She shouted. She wanted to be back there again, back with Kai. Even with everything that happened in Paris. She wanted to be back in his arms.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She staggered to a stop, exhausted, unable to run any further. She gasped for breath before looking around. “Hello?” She called out. “I know someone is out there!” But there wasn't. She was surrounded by an inky black. She was alone. There was no one else there.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She was all alone.</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <br/>
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</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading, comments make my week</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="first-line-indent">Catherine made herself comfortable in her uncle’s study, she always had the same seat when she’d been in there, tucked underneath the window, within reach of a side table for her to store her coffee cups and books. Vale had taken Silver’s desk chair for himself and was picking at the drawer locks.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">They’d barged past Johnson and up to the study to wait for Silver there, Kai had very little patience when Irene was in danger and they were happy to entertain his wishes until it started to put them in danger.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">Kai was stood taunt by the door, like tightly wound piano strings. “My uncle will respond better if you don’t assault him as soon as he comes into the room.” Catherine said. “Just in case you are planning that, Kai.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Then I will wait to see if he has anything useful.” He snapped before throwing himself down into an armchair, it creaked.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Taking your temper out on Catherine isn't going to help you.” Vale said before smiling as he managed to get the drawer open and pulled out Silver’s most recent correspondence. “It won’t help Winters either.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Fine.” Kai slowly exhaled, trying to soothe himself, it did little to breathe deeply and count to ten, first in English, then in Mandarin, then French and he had got to five in Russian when the door was opened and a tired Silver shuffled in.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“You are all awake far too early.” He said, before settling on Vale reading one of his letters. “Can I help you? And where is Miss Winters? The conversation is so much nicer with the little mouse here.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Can I hit him now?” Kai asked.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Later.” Catherine said.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“No.” Vale gave both of them a stern look. “What do you know about the Maddox twins?”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“The… those two?” Silver very nearly sneered. “Boring little hanger ons, to be honest.” He shrugged. “Low-level kinds. Can barely drag themselves between the spheres though they give it a go every now and then. The bastard sons of some Lord or another, I never paid them much attention.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Your sons?” Kai asked.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“God no.” Silver started pouring himself a drink. “I know that they have a house in this world and frequent it, but they have no connections here really, hire some staff, spend a month here and then leave again when none of their plans to build up more power work out.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Would you consider them to be dangerous?” Vale asked.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Have you ever seen an animal in a trap?” Silver asked, he sat down next to Catherine. She moved to sit on the chair opposite Kai’s. “They get desperate. And a desperate animal is dangerous for many reasons. Let me guess, they have caused trouble for miss Winters?”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“She’s missing.” Vale said. “So, do you have any useful information?”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Or what? The princeling is going to break my nose? You know, that could give me some character actually.” He preened. “Make me a bit more… rugged.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“There is no or, Uncle.” Catherine said. “You can help us, or you could be the reason why Irene dies. And I know you like her for your… disgusting reasons.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“She’s fun.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Whatever. Help, now?”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“You raise a good point.” He sighed. “No, I haven't heard anything about any of their plans. I knew that they were back in the sphere but other than that, nothing. They don’t talk to me because I don’t help them and I don’t talk to them because I have no wish to be a part of their stories. They aren't my cup of tea.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“What is their story?”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“You know what? I could never work it out.” Silver shrugged. “As I said, some Lord’s sons, though I never heard or saw any proof of that. Identical twins, fond of their women?”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Let me guess, one always lies and one always tells the truth?” Kai muttered, Silver smirked.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“No. Though one is nicer than the other, the question is which one it is, I could never tell.” Silver slumped in his seat, reclining into the pillows in a manner that would have looked like someone being lazy on anyone else. “Aeron and Alwyn… Alwyn, I think he’s the nice one.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“He seemed pretty rude at dinner.” Kai said.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Like I said, hard to tell which one is which.” Silver said. “They couldn’t take Miss Winters out of this world, if you are worried about that, they are nowhere near strong enough to do that. Unless this is their bid to strengthen themselves.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Archetypes?” Kai pressed.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“I do not know, princeling.” Silver flashed sharp teeth. “They are weak, too reliant on one another despite not really getting along. Joined at the hip and bitter because of it.” He shook his head. “I don’t know who their mother is for that matter. I wonder if that is important to them.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Their father is?”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Abandoned by a Lord? That is quite the start to life.” Silver said. “Even if it isn't actually true, it doesn’t need to be, not really. As long as you believe in it, and if other people believe, then that is enough to make an amazing story. Kidnapping a Librarian would do wonders for it as well, just a thought. Mister Vale, could you please stop reading through my private letters?” Kai and Catherine looked at Vale.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">Vale looked up at Silver. “No.” He looked back down again. “For someone who seemingly knows nothing, there is a note from Madam Sterrington here, thanking you for alerting her to their presence in London.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Well, yes? That doesn’t mean that I know anything about their plans. I knew that they were in the world.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“But how?” Kai demanded.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“I hear these things. I have my webs, I find information, I use the information.” Silver smiled. “I let Sterrington know that they were around and that they were not a part of the treaty. That information was for her to do with as she please, whether it be to invite them to become a signatory, or be wary of those not bound by the rules. Something that becomes more tempting when I find my private study invaded by a dragonling, a detective and my very own niece. I thought we were above such things by now. Am I not your friend?”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“No, not really. You are tolerated.” Kai said. “As the treaty demands, no more than that.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Please break from the treaty.” Catherine said. “So I am allowed to break in and steal your books.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Why do you think that I won’t? Miss Winters would strip this place.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Hardly.” Catherine said. “The vast majority is sordid and worthless.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Can we get back to the topic of where Irene may be?” Kai demanded, eyes flashing, his anger mainly aimed at Silver. “You knew that the twins were here, you pointed Sterrington in their direction. Did you know what they were doing here?”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“No.” Silver said, starting to sound bored. “Are you going to torture me to try to get more information out of me now?”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“For starters, Silver, you are not worth the effort. Secondly, we are above such barbaric measures.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Not that it is effective at getting accurate information anyway.” Vale said, standing up, leaving the letters that he’d been reading strewn across the desk. “I think that you don’t know anything, which is just eating you up inside, not being important enough to know anything of their plans?”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“I cannot possibly care more about them, as I do not care to begin with. Though do let me know if they do anything interesting.” Silver said with a flourish of his hand. “I do hope that you find the little mouse, she does make these little interactions… titillating?”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Uncle, you are as disgusting as always.” Catherine sighed, she adjusted her glasses and stood up. “I think he’s being genuine though.” She looked to Kai and Vale. “He doesn’t know anything.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Have a nice day.” Silver said, all sickeningly saccharine. “I am sure that you can all show yourselves out.” Kai slammed the door hard enough behind them that it echoed down the corridor and Catherine winced.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“You know Silver the best,” Vale said, looking to Catherine. “Do you think that he gave anything away?”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“I don’t think that he knows anything of use to help find Irene.” Catherine said, she led a different way out that they had come in, heading toward the back of the house instead. “But I think he knows more about the brothers than he’s letting on. Either he’s bound to not tell people, or he’s hoping to gain something from them.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Where are we going?” Kai frowned.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Uncle isn't stupid.” Catherine replied. “He would never keep things so easy to find, especially with Vale’s habit of trying to go through his things.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“So where are we going?” Vale asked. “Does he have a secret room that I haven't managed to find before?” He sounded doubtful.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Luckily for us, I know where my uncle likes to stash important things, including, his little black book. If he can’t tell us anything, that might. And I don’t think it would be covered by the treaty so taking it should be fine.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“And I doubt he’d want people to know that his secrets were stolen by his niece?” Kai said and Catherine nodded. She’d led them down the back staircase, mainly used for servants, or Vale when he was using a party as an opportunity to pry.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">Kai recognised the ballroom, though Silver had clearly had to replace the floorboards after the little alligator incident back when he and Irene had first arrived to London, it seemed like it was so long ago now, so small and petty compared to other things that they had survived, alligators were almost laughable. Which probably said far too much about his psyche, he’d seen worse.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">He and Vale watched Catherine trail her fingers over the back wall, hidden in shadow. The room seemed so much larger with no tables, chairs and them being the only people. The lights were all off, casting long shadows and for a moment, Catherine disappeared into them.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Got it.” She said. There was a hanging banner of the Lichtenstein crest and she’d pulled it back to reveal the wallpaper beneath it. Going to her knees, she ran her fingers along the skirting board until there was an audible click, and a hidden draw slid out.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Maybe I don’t give Silver enough credit.” Vale muttered as Catherine lifted the lid of the drawer. It contained several different documents that she lifted out and put to one side. “I will have to remember this little hidey-hole.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Looks like Irene’s lessons have been paying off.” Kai said, touching Catherine’s shoulder. She looked up and smiled, knowing that was likely the closest she would get to him saying that he was proud of her. Irene may say it, but he never would.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Let’s get out of here.” Catherine tucked a thick book into her coat pocket and quickly put the documents back away. She slid the drawer back into place and dropped the banner and it looked like none of them had ever been there. “We can either go out the door there,” she pointed to the door that Silver’s guests usually arrived through. “Or the kitchen door.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Kitchen.” Vale said, checking his timepiece. “It should be empty now.” Catherine nodded and accepted Kai’s proffered hand to pull her to her feet. They were out on the street and hailing a cab two minutes later, and Vale was skimming the contents of the pilfered book.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">It contained a lot of information that he had no idea that Silver had even known, likely the result of the secondary hiding spot. He silently cursed, kicking himself. The office drawers had always been a little too easy to open, he’d been getting cocky and overly confident.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">It was names and addresses, dates of meetings, scribbled words in the margins of titbits of information that was undoubtedly for the purpose of blackmail, names that Vale recognised. He made a note to scribble out the information that he had on Columbine, and then send her a note to be a bit more careful with her attachments.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">Some people had entire pages of information on them, whilst others had a scribbled line at most. The Maddox twins were about halfway through the book, with a quart page of information on each of them, not that the information was that different between the brothers, separate vices but other than that, they always shared the same address, they shopped in the same places, they had the same acquaintances. They even visited the same brothels, though at different times.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Is it helpful?” Catherine’s naivety and desperation were clear in her voice.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“It certainly contains more background information than we already had.” Vale said, looking to Kai. Catherine slumped, knowing what he was saying without saying.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“It’s useless.” She muttered. “Sorry.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“You don’t need to keep apologising.” Kai said. “You wanted to help and that is more than enough. And background on them can be useful, we can work out habits or any weaknesses that they might have. Understanding an enemy is part of how to defeat them. ‘Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.’”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“I never liked the Art of War.” Catherine said. “But I suppose that you are right.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Strongrock, you should head back to embassy lodgings to see if they have left a ransom note of some kind.” Vale said. “There is likely a reason for this kidnapping, they may want something from you.” Kai nodded. “It’s a shame that we cannot access the Library without Winters, they may receive a message about her whereabouts.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“They’ll reach out to us.” Kai said. “I think. Hopefully, they would send someone to look into this if they did hear something.” He was sure of that, if Irene had gone missing and they’d heard about it, surely they would want to find her again, even if just for their own sakes.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Maybe we should stick a note to the Library entry door.” Catherine suggested. “I think Irene has post-its.” Kai almost laughed.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Traverse.” He corrected. “And no, they are just squares of paper, post-its are sticky.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Why are they sticky?” Vale asked.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“To stick to things?” Catherine said, not sounding entirely too sure of herself, she’d spent most of her life in the same sphere, the same technology, the same things. Sure, her uncle had made sure that she had learnt how to use a computer but he hadn't exactly stopped to tell her that there was a half-inch strip of sticky stuff on the back of brightly coloured squares of paper. That wasn't useful information. “Fine. Just glue it?”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“I’ll just pin it to the doorway to the main corridor.” Kai said with a nod. “That’s probably easiest. Once I am done, I will meet you back at your lodgings, Vale?”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“No, meet us by the ticket office at King’s Cross.” Vale said, shaking his head. “We can travel up to Epping from there.” Kai nodded. “The house shouldn’t be too far from the Epping station if memory serves me correctly.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Do I need to get anything from my room?” Catherine asked.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Do you keep a go-bag, like Irene told you to?” She nodded. “I’ll grab that for you.” A go-bag was a bag that Irene kept tucked underneath the bed, it contained a change of clothes, a first aid kit, spare shoes, notebook and pen, and something to read. Kai kept a similar bag ready to go, in case of emergency, though his first aid kit didn't contain brandy, like Irene’s did.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“We shouldn’t be out of London for long, but a change of clothes may be necessary.” Vale nodded. “And an umbrella.” He looked from the gathering clouds to Kai, who raised his hands.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“This isn't my doing.” Kai said. “I have better control of my temper than that, besides, my storm would come out of nowhere. This is just old fashioned British summers.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Quite.” Vale said dryly as the cab pulled up outside of his lodgings and offered Catherine a hand down. “Try not to take too long. We’ll head to the train in about an hour.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent"> </p>
<p class="first-line-indent">There was no letter back at the house. No note. He had been half-hoping that there would be one, somewhere for him to focus his energy onto. His anger. But there was nothing waiting for him. Not when he went into the house, and not when he left, having shoved spare clothes for Irene into his bag, and grabbing Catherine’s too.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">He left a note for the Library, and walked from there to the train station, the streets were too busy and he’d likely spend longer in the cab then it would take for him to walk that far. He’d hoped for that familiar prickling sensation, the burn of being watched, of being a target.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">But there was nothing. No watchers, no followers, no mysterious cabs about to whisk him away to an unknown location, to where they held Irene.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">It was infuriating!</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">Catherine was waiting with a coffee for him whilst Vale purchased tickets, she exchanged the paper cup for her bag. “The train ride should take us about an hour, we leave in fifteen minutes.” She said stiffly, like she was reporting to a superior. “I have some food as well, I wasn't sure if you'd be hungry, but… I thought it was a good idea.” She softened.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“I am.” He said. He’d been distracted by other things and not thinking about the emptiness on the stomach. “Thank you.” The coffee was strong and black, she’d made the drinks often enough to know the simple way he preferred his. “Oh, I was trying to find your knife?”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“I have it with me.” She said, tapping just below her hip. “I remembered it before I left to get Vale.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Good.” He nodded. He was beginning to sound like Irene. Maybe that would help, putting himself in her shoes. She was always so calm and collected when it came to rescuing him, probably why she was good at it, other than practice. She kept her head whilst he flew off the handle.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">And it would probably help Catherine too. He’d wanted to suggest that they leave her behind, but she would just argue or follow them. And without Irene, she was his responsibility. Someone had to make sure that she stayed safe.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">The question was, who would Kai chose? Protect Catherine? Or sacrifice it all for Irene?</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">She wouldn’t forgive him if he let Catherine get hurt, but he couldn’t lose Irene.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">Catherine jabbed him in the arm and he nearly spilt his coffee. “You are spiralling.” She didn't look at him. “Get out of your own head.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“You have been spending too much time with Irene.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“She can always tell when you are upset, I just picked up the cues.” She shrugged. “I guess it is a useful skill to have when working for the Library. Manipulation and all of that.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Irene doesn’t manipulate me.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“True, but I don’t think she needs to. You are wrapped around her little finger.” She said. “I can’t decide if it sweet or absolutely disgusting.” She nudged him again and he looked down at her, she looked up. “I know that we can find her. She looks after us, it’s our turn to look after her.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Yes, it is.” He said. “And I know that I am not your teacher, I am not even with the Library any more, but I want you to know that if I say run, I do want you to listen to me.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Within reason.” She said. “Deal, I guess that makes you my substitute teacher.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Let’s start with detention and go from there.” Kai sighed, his headache was starting to come back, brought on by the roar of noise that surrounded them in the station. Talking and train whistles, loud announcements, a crying baby or two, a dog barking. Not to mention the smell of coal, coffee and whatever had been used to clean the floors.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">Catherine offered him the food she’d got one they were on the train, he picked at it, beginning to feel nauseated and exhausted. He slept for most of the journey, napping with his head rested on the window, ignoring the vibrations that it rocked through him.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">Whatever they had spiked the drinks with was nasty, even with his biology. If Irene was kept conscious, she was likely in a far worse state than he was in. When he came too, roused by Catherine lightly shaking his awake, his mind felt a little less clouded, though there was still a sickening ache behind his eyes, nothing that he couldn’t work through.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">He voiced his concern to Vale, about how Irene would respond to the drugs as they’d been given the same dosage, and Kai had no sign of a needle mark indicating a secondary dose of something else needed in order to get him to the police station whilst unconscious. They’d drunk from the same bottle of wine. Maybe Sterrington’s migraine had been the result of her being dosed as well, and it had just had a different set of side effects.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“We need to gather all of the information on the twins that we can.” Vale said. “I recommend that we split up and try to gather what we can before heading to their address.” He looked at Strongrock. “Catherine and I can do that if you need to get more rest, I know that high doses of narcotics can leave you feeling sluggish for some time.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“I’m fine.” Kai said brusquely. “The sleep on the train helped a bit and the headache isn't as bad any more.” Vale looked sceptical, but he didn't try to insist that they leave Kai somewhere nice and safe.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">Epping was surrounded by forest, an old market town with streets that were lined with old homes and shops with a large church at the far side of the town. It was cold and beginning to rain as Kai made his way there, dampening the lapels of his shoulders.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">He pushed the heavy doors open. He had never followed a religion and knew very little of the western religions such as Catholicism, but he and Irene had visited a surprisingly large amount of churches in pursuit of literature and he had come to appreciate the architecture, the large stained glass windows that cast a rainbow glow across the flagstone floors.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">It was silent except for his footfalls as he made his way up toward the altar, looking down the lengths of the pews. “Hello?” It felt wrong to raise his voice, it echoed around him before falling silent on the dust again. “I’m looking for the preacher if there is one here?”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">He didn't jump when a man stepped out of the shadows, dressed in the typical dark vestments that were often seen on preachers during the time period.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“How may I help you?” The man asked.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Sorry, I am looking for someone who may be in the area?” Kai said. “A pair of gentlemen. They’re brothers in their mid-twenties or so? I’m working with the police and we were told that they sporadically attended this church.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">The preacher smiled and spread his hands. “We have quite a sizable congregation, I am afraid that you are going to have to be a bit more specific.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Alwyn and Aeron Maddox?”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Oh them?” The preacher asked, frowning. “I hope that they haven't got themselves into too much trouble.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“You know them?”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Not personally. Aeron comes here more often than his brother does but they are both wealthy patrons. They have made sizable donations. I believe that their mother is buried in our graveyard, so I suppose that the upkeep of it means a lot to them.” Kai nodded.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Have they been here recently?”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Alwyn came to confessional, but as you know, I cannot discuss that.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Of course not, I wouldn't expect you to.” Kai said. “Could I at least know when this was?”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Two days ago, quite early in the morning.” The preacher said. “The pair never come to the same service, I think that Alwyn is a morning person, whilst his brother is not. And I don’t believe that I have ever seen Aeron come to confessional.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Thank you for your time.” Kai said.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“If you go out the side door, you should be able to find their mother’s grave easily enough.” HE said. “It’s about three rows back from there.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">The ground was growing slick with rainwater as he slowly walked through the gravestones, looking at the surnames as he went until he found the right name. Charity Maddox. There was no date of birth or death, just her name, and beloved mother below that. There was a fresh bouquet of flowers, white lilies, at the bottom of the stone. They probably couldn’t have been there for much more a day.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">The rain was coming down harder now, soaking through his jacket. He turned his face to the sky, letting the rain run down his cheeks like tears, soaking into his hair and finally cleansing him of the clinging foulness that was whatever he had been doused with.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">He looked back to the gravestone, mind clear now, sharper than a needlepoint. He could focus, on both his anger, and his hope, letting the two intermingle, letting himself use his hope to fuel the anger, balancing the two out, the hope that they would find Irene, and the anger that he would hurt those who dared to raise a hand to <em>his </em>Irene.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">He put his umbrella up, balancing it on his shoulder. He normally held it over him and Irene, she’d link his arms with her as they talked, listening to the patter of the rain on black oilcloth. He didn't mind the feeling of being soaked, but Irene didn't like the way that wet clothes felt on her skin and the way that it chilled her to the bone.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">There was a long road that ran the length of the majority of Epping, Kai walked along it, back toward the train station. They’d passed by that on the way to the house the day before. He’d asked why they hadn't merely travelled by train. The Maddox’s had arranged for the cabs that picked them up and likely took him to the police station too, after all, they’d called a cab to take Sterrington home.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">There was an office for the cab company at the station, likely where the cab had come from first, without phone calls or instant messaging, the place that they had come from had to be close by in order to send an automaton bug with a message attached to it, the nearest that this world hand managed to get to a text message, though it wasn't as fast as a telegraph and didn't have the same distance.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">Maybe that should be that the bugs were like walkie-talkies only you could send smiley face drawings.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">He knocked his knuckles on the window in the door, it rattled in place, cheap thin glass. It said closed, and his knocking didn't draw anyone to the doorway. He tried again, louder the second time.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“I’ve already tried that.” Catherine said, she had her own umbrella keeping the rain off her. “They should be open apparently, but there’s no one inside as far as I can tell.” Kai fished his lock picks out.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Do you know how to use these?” She nodded. “Well?”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Decently. I don’t get much practise.” He held them out to her.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Give it ago.” He said. “I’ll keep the rain off you and take over if you can’t get it open.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Shouldn't we wait for Vale?” She asked, handing him her umbrella and kneeling down, feeding the thin pieces of metal into the lock and biting the tip of her tongue as she focused.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“He can catch up.” Kai said. There was a click. “Got it?”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“First two tumblers. I think.” She frowned and tried to twist the picks. “Maybe a third? Looks like a cheap lock so… ah!” It turned. “There we go. I need more practice of that, I think.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Not bad for rusty.” Kai complimented. “You can always borrow my set if you want a bit of practice.” He put the umbrellas down and tucked them just behind the door as they stepped inside, and Catherine quickly slid the latch across, so that they’d have a warning if anyone else was to come in after them. “Is there a back door?”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“There’s one onto the alley at the side.” Catherine said. She sat at the desk chair and started trying the drawers, Kai started on the inbox. “What are we looking for?”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“They should keep a receipt book or a ledger of journeys.” Kai said. “I want to know if they were paid to take me to the police station.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">They sat at a cafe table and spread the evidence out in front of them, their notes and thoughts in between pots of coffee and cake. Vale drummed his fingers on the table and he silently read something in the newspaper. Eventually, he folded it up and set it down.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“It is obvious that the Maddox twins are our enemy here.” He said in an entirely unnecessary statement. “I recommend that we do reconnaissance work to locate where they are keeping Winters, and the condition in which she is in if possible, and then request police help.” Kai opened his mouth but Vale put a hand out to stop him. “They have a hostage, it is best that we have as much help as we can in case they try to use her against us.”</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“At least we know that they cannot take her from this world.” Catherine said.</p>
<p class="first-line-indent">“Yes.” Vale nodded. “However, they may not be keeping her in the house. If we can get in some time to have a look around, that would be the perfect opportunity as we can go through personal effects, but it could be hard with them in the house. Not impossible with a suitable distraction though.” He looked at Catherine. “How are your acting skills?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Irene's interlude- part two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>Kai put his hand on Irene’s back and shifted over to be laying right next to her, kissing her shoulder. Irene stifled a groan into her pillow. He smiled against her skin. “Morning.” He said against her skin. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>That it is.” She replied, still face into her pillow before rolling over and propping herself up on her elbow. “Our last day with the house to ourselves. Do we have any plans?” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>You make it sound like your new student will be our child.” Kai said with an almost laugh. “No. We don’t. The bedroom is all set up for her, as is a space in the study. We don’t need to go shopping today, you checked in with the Library yesterday. We have the entire day just for us.” He touched her cheek and pressed his lips to hers. “Twenty-four hours and then we have to go back to pretending that we don’t have these feelings for each other.” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>Irene put her hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath the fingertips. “We don’t have to.” She said. “I mean, we aren't the most open anyway, and people already assume that we are sleeping with each other. I don’t see any problems with you still sharing my bed.” </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>What if she tells Silver?” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>Tells him what? Something that he already assumes?” Irene asked, she shifted closer so that her legs were against his, she could hook her leg over his hip and pin him to her if she wanted to. “Thanks to that early morning in Paris, he knows that you share my bed.” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>He’s suggested that he wants to share it too.” Kai muttered. </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>I believe that he wanted you there too, no need to feel so left out.” He glowered and she kissed his pouting lips. </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>No need to look so dour, Kai.” She said. “I am not the sharing kind.” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>Good, I don’t want to share you either.” He kissed her temple. “Sharing your time, yes. Sharing your bed with someone else? I would rather not.” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>I thought that dragons were more open to those kinds of relations.” He’d certainly implied a much more casual kind of relationship, at least when it came to the mating contracts. He’d also outright stated that, if she wanted a relationship with Vale and to sleep with him too, he’d be okay with that. </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>Maybe he’d just been willing to settle for what little he could have and be happy with it.</em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>Some are.” Kai tried to shrug but it was a little hard whilst laying on his side. “I… thought that I was at one point. But I am happy, beyond happy, that it is just the two of us.” He stroked her cheek. “That you chose me, and only me.” Irene sometimes thought that maybe dragons felt different emotions, and possessiveness was one of them.</em></p><p class="first-line-indent">It felt strange to watch her own memories. She could walk around the bedroom, their bedroom, but she couldn’t interact with anything.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She could remember how she felt, the way that she had been warm all the way through, and not just because Kai was a heated in human(ish) form. She’d felt warm and safe. She hadn't wanted to leave the bed, but when she had finally done so, needing a shower, she had felt frozen for a moment, without his touch she was shivering in the early spring chill.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>You’ll do until I find a dragon.”</em></p><p class="first-line-indent">No… that wasn't what Kai had said. That bit was fake. He would never say that to her.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>Humans aren't good for much, at least you make an excellent concubine. It’s a shame about everything else.” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">She watched Kai tuck an arm behind his head and watch the memory of her as she moved around the room and gather her clothes, seemingly oblivious to his words. Like he was speaking to her, and not the memory.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>I mean, really, Irene. You thought that I loved you? You are only a human. So weak and pathetic. Why would I ever love someone like you?” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">She could feel herself shaking, unable to move, unable to get away from his words. She shut her eyes and put her hands over her ears. It wasn't real. It was just… It was just wherever she was. It was messing with her memories. That was it.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Kai loved her.</p><p class="first-line-indent">He really loved her, it wasn't a lie. He wasn't using her. He wouldn't do that to her.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She stumbled backwards before turning and running, the world dissolving into the darkness around her. She just kept running and running until her lungs were burning and her knees buckled and she fell to the ‘ground’.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She didn't get up.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="first-line-indent">Catherine rocked back on her heels as she rang the doorbell, it echoed loudly through the house. She pressed her fingers together and looked down at the floor, rehearsing what she had planned to say, repeated the words in her mind several times over before someone came to open the door.</p><p class="first-line-indent">A blank-faced man not unlike Johnson looked down their sharp nose at her. “Can I help you?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Sorry, I was hoping to speak to the mister Maddox’s?” She asked, trying to sound earnest and innocent. “My name is Catherine. I’m with the Library?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Right.” He said. “Well, we don’t accept cold callers.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Please.” She said. “Just… It’s important. I need to speak to them about Irene, she was here last night.” He arched a brow and sighed.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Wait here.” He said and shut the door in her face. Catherine pursed her lips. There was one other thing that she’d picked up from Irene, it wasn't a useful skill, it was the ability to cuss in half a dozen languages, and she could think of quite a few colourful words to use at that moment in time.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The door opened again, and a different man was looking at her, he had light hair. “Oh! I know you.” He smiled kindly. “Come in, come in. Apparently, you are from the Library?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Yes. Though you know my uncle.” Catherine said. “Lord Silver?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Yes, yes I do. How is he doing?” He touched her shoulder and led her through to a cosy sitting room. She didn't know which twin he was, dark hair but no one seemed to really know which one was which.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Well, I suppose.” She shrugged. “You know how these things are with family, they wouldn't want to worry you with these petty things.” She sat down opposite him. “I believe that you had dinner with Irene Winters last night? She’s my tutor, and she never returned home last night.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Oh, good lord.” He said, she wasn't the best at reading tones and facial expressions, so had no idea whether or not he was displaying genuine shock or faked. “She left here well enough, at around… it must have been nearing midnight.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“And prince Kai?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“He must not be as used to Fae wines as he believed, he was rather drunk. I thought that she was quite annoyed with him when they left.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“That’s strange.” Catherine said. “Prince Kai managed to make it home just fine. How would that happen if they left together?” She tilted her head, trying to sound as naive as she possibly could, like she was entirely clueless and didn't know how that could have happened.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Like I said, she was quite annoyed with him.” There was a knocking at the door and then the man who had answered the door first came in with coffee for them. “If you aren't in a rush, I would love it if you would join me for coffee.” Catherine nodded, it was probably what Irene would do, play along and hope that they slip up. And if she was here with one brother, that was one less brother to find Kai and Vale as they scoped out the house.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Of course.” She said. “Is it possible to speak with your brother too? If he isn't too busy? It is unlike Irene to disappear like this and I do need to find her. He may have seen or heard something?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Of course.” The Fae said. “How do you take your coffee, and then I will see if I can find him?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Milk and one sugar.” Catherine said. “I can’t stand when it is too bitter.” The rain had made her cold, she was grateful for the hot drink to warm her up again, not to mention that she could never have enough coffee, there was no such thing as too much coffee.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The rain was rattling the window panes now, lashing at them until the room was filled more with the sound of the rain than the fire that crackled in the hearth. She carefully looked around the room, not wanting to get up in case they toss her out for doing so. There were two bookcases, but she wasn't close enough to see the titles from where she was. She needed new lenses.</p><p class="first-line-indent">There was the sofa that she was sat on, one opposite, and an armchair in between the two at the end, setting up a rectangle with the fire as one of the sides. Twisting to look at the windows, there were plush looking window seats, probably perfect for reading, looking out onto a front lawn of plain grass, there had been flower beds, but they had been empty.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She looked down at the carpet. The entire room was spotless, except for a small splash of what looked like coffee on the dark carpet. She’d seen wine stains often enough in her uncle’s home and spilt coffee in the embassy, Irene leaving the circular marks of teacups on hastily scribbled notes, Kai’s own tea (usually stronger and darker) smudging the x’s that he finished off his notes to Irene with.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She glanced at the door, and then put her coffee down to get onto her hands and knees. She was no detective, couldn’t tell when the coffee had been spilt, though she could tell that someone had tried to clean it away, but she could spot a shard of porcelain, poking out from underneath the sofa that she’d been sat on. Thin and glazed in white and black, she pulled it out and put it into her pocket for later.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The house was eerily quiet, a place of this size would need servants, and her uncle had said that there were, people hired just for whilst they were staying in the world, there were companies that hired out staff for that kind of thing. The butler looked like he’d been around longer than that though, maybe a servant kept on retainer, to keep the house in good shape?</p><p class="first-line-indent">She jumped as the door opened, she hadn't heard anyone approaching, another strange fact. She thought that she had decent senses, she couldn’t match Kai, but she wasn't too far behind him. Yet there hadn't been as much of a murmur, they’d somehow moved silently over tiled floors.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She put the coffee down and stood up, fanning her skirts as she bowed her head in a semi-formal greeting. “Thank you for taking the time out to speak with me, sir.” She said pleasantly. “I am looking for Irene. Did you see her leave here last night?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I saw the prince leave.” The other brother said, tilting his head. She decided to just start referring to them as dark and light, it was easier than trying to guess which one was which. “Miss Winters left at the same time, though I’ll admit that I did not see her getting into the cab with him. Perhaps she walked back to Epping to get the first train back to London?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">If that had been the case, she’d have been at the house when Kai had gone to collect things for them, and to check for her. Catherine didn't say this though, she just smiled and nodded.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Hopefully that is all that this is.” She said. “Irene isn't the kind to just disappear like this without leaving a message for us.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“How is madam Sterrington?” Dark asked. “She had a migraine and left early.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“She’s feeling much better this morning.” Catherine could answer that one honestly. “She sends her apologies for having to leave so early last night.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Oh, that is simply ridiculous.” Light said. “She has no reason to apologise, she was under the weather, these things happen to everyone.” Catherine looked down at her coffee. Logically, Irene, Kai and Sterrington had all had something put into their food or drinks that had caused their various behaviours.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Nonetheless, she took a sip of it, and looked back up at them, they wouldn't have had the time to prepare drugs or anything for her sudden arrival, surely. It would have to be a relatively slow-acting drug anyway if they’d managed to make it to coffee and maybe even later before Kai passed out.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Kai was also showing signs of amnesia, so something that caused that, loss of consciousness and maybe headaches.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Aeron said that you are Lord Silver’s niece.” Dark said, which made him Alwyn? Unless they were frequently switching wardrobes and maybe wigs? That was possible, she doubted that anyone who didn't know them incredibly well would notice the difference. “How is he doing?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“The same as he usually is.” She shrugged with one shoulder and recrossed her ankles, the sofa wasn't particularly comfortable. “He sends his best, I stopped in on him before I left London, I think that Irene must have her pocketbook with her, I didn't have your address and asking the cab company for the country house somewhere in Epping forest likely wouldn't have got me this far.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“No, it probably wouldn't.” Aeron chuckled unpleasantly. “Are you expected elsewhere? I’d love it if you could tell me more about being a student of the Library over lunch.” Alwyn rolled his eyes.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“My brother seems to have to romanticise everything that he comes across.” He said, shaking his head. “We shouldn’t be keeping her if she needs to find where Miss Winters has got herself to. She isn't with the prince, is she? They seemed… cosy.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“The prince is at the embassy.” Catherine said. “Just in case Irene makes her way back there.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“You are far too young to be wandering around looking for someone.” Aeron said. “I’ll send for a cab to get you back to Epping, you cannot be walking around in this weather, anything could happen.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Thank you.” she said, glancing to the windows. “That would be greatly appreciated.” She didn't see Kai or Vale as she left the house, trying to be subtle as she looked around. They’d agreed to meet up at the cafe that they’d been to earlier if they couldn’t find somewhere to surreptitiously to meet up as they left, and with the pouring rain and offer of a cab (and Alwyn pointing out that she would be too busy for lunch), she couldn’t wait around for them to finish what they were doing, if they had indeed finished before her cab had arrived.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Whilst waiting just in the entryway for the cab to arrive, she peered around a door to the side. It revealed a long hallway with narrow stairs at the back of it, likely a corridor for servants originally, though the thick carpet and bright lights suggested that the brothers used it frequently, or why else would they have put all of the effort into it?</p><p class="first-line-indent">She was tempted to head down it, see what was up the stairs, there was a set going up, and she thought that she could see a doorway beneath them, which could be stairs down to the cellar, or merely a storage cupboard, but just as she’d made up her mind to go and have a look, the butler stepped out of one of the side doors, giving her a look that suggested that he knew exactly what she was thinking about and planning. She shuddered, not liking the way his eyes looked, like they were seeing right through her.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The cab pulled up before he could make her incredibly uncomfortable, and she ran out into the rain, asking the driver to take her to Epping station, before scrambling inside and slumping into one of the seats. She had no idea if any of what she’d found out was going to be useful, but she was glad that she wasn't being watched any more.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Leaning forward to peer out of the window as the cab pulled away, she saw Aeron drawing the curtains of the sitting room that they’d been in and he caught her eyes. She drew back on instinct, the ice-cold fury behind his eyes curdled her stomach and sent a shot of ice through her chest until she was cowering in the corner of her seat.</p><p class="first-line-indent">He knew something. He knew where Irene was. She was certain of it.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She paid the cabby and put up her umbrella. The streets were nearly silent. Nobody was out in this squall without having to be, and very few people had to be outside in mid-afternoon. It was even empty inside the cafe. Kai and Vale weren’t there, so she took a table by the window, so that she was easy to spot, and ordered a pot of tea.</p><p class="first-line-indent">A few weeks after they’d dealt with Alberich, when Irene was up for being somewhere busy again, she and Catherine had gone out for the day, Irene insisting that Catherine needed a knife to carry with her for her protection, and wanting Catherine to chose one that felt natural to her, that fitted in her hand. Catherine hadn't entirely understood what it had meant, to have a knife that ‘fitted’ until they had picked out a few different ones and she’d picked up a delicate looking thing, mother of pearl handle and a wicked sharp blade.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Irene had spotted a leather satchel in a shop window, and she had bought it for Catherine, explaining that she’d need it for work, something neat and quite plain as to not look out of place, waterproof for rain, and with a thick lining that she could hide things in.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She was grateful for that thick leather now, as the rain would have surely ruined the book that she’d kept packed to read when they had to grab the go-bags. She poured her mug of tea, adding a cube of brown sugar and splash of milk before she adjusted her glasses and got to reading, the warmth of the fire to one side of the cafe spreading around her and drying her off.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Vale was the next to return, practically dripping wet, with muddied boots, he dropped into a seat next to her and didn't speak until she had reached the end of the page and put the book down. “That was interesting.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Good interesting or bad interesting?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Is there a difference? Interesting is interesting.” The waitress brought over a cup for him and he filled it. Not drinking, just wrapping his hands around the cup to warm himself up again. “They had quite a garden for people who did not frequent the world. They must be paying quite a lot for gardeners.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“There were no flowers in the front garden.” Catherine said, toying with her teaspoon. “They did have flower beds, but they were empty.” Vale slowly nodded. “It could just be that they didn't get around to planting anything there this year. Or maybe the garden has a meaning to them. Did you see any lilies?” He smiled, having clearly thought of that already.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“There was.” He said with a nod. “Amongst others.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Did you see where Kai got to?” She asked, checking her watch. “It’s been nearly three hours now. At the very least, he can keep himself dry so he doesn’t have to worry about catching his death by cold.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“A useful advantage that he has.” Vale would easily admit that he would gladly take the advantage of being able to stay dry in the rain, it would be useful for stakeouts whilst working a case. “I believe that he was trying to find entry to the main house whilst I went through the gardens and outbuildings. I didn't find any sign of Winters in them though.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Apparently she left with Kai, who was drunk, but they never saw her get into the cab.” Catherine shrugged. “I do not believe them though. Aeron that is. Alwyn maybe. Alwyn’s the one with dark hair. I think.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“You think?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“They could wear wigs.” She shrugged. “They’re identical except for that, so maybe. They both seemed nice enough but something about Aeron just… rubbed me the wrong way. I don’t know. The butler is creepy too.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">They ordered a new pot of tea and some cake to pick at. Kai eventually turned up, his umbrella had kept him dry for the most part, not that he was ever one to dislike getting soaked through. Catherine poured him tea and waited for the waitress to be distracted before she leant forward and pulled the porcelain from her pocket.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She kept it enclosed in her hand, sharp edges digging into soft fingers. “What colour were the coffee cups that you used?” She asked, she’d read enough of Irene’s crime novels (detective literature as Irene insisted but she wasn't entirely sure if you could have a detective novel that wasn't a crime novel) to know that she didn't want to influence a memory.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Kai furrowed his brow. “I think white?” He said. “It had a pattern on it, but I can’t remember what the pattern was.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Do you remember the colour?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Dark.” He said. “Black or grey, I think.” Catherine opened her hand and held the shard out, Vale snatched it up.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I found it underneath the sofa in the parlour.” She said. “There was spilt coffee on the rugs, but no sign of a fight having happened in there.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Based on Strongrock’s symptoms, I believe that a strong sedative was used.” Vale said, turning the cup in hand. “Likely something added into the coffee.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“The twins were drinking it too.” Kai said.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Smeared in the cups already then.” Vale said with a nod like he had no doubt of that, he probably didn't. “You two were given spiked cups, the drugs were diffused into your coffee and you were kept talking long enough for it to start to work. Allowing for both of you to be moved.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“What did you find?” Catherine asked when Vale fell silent, just examining the shard with his magnifying glass and the meagre light coming from the dying ether bulb above them.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“There is a back entry with a rather rubbish lock. I managed to gain entry and have a look around the back of the house.” Kai explained. “Servants corridors and the likes.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“They weren't nicely carpeted and lit, were they?” Catherine asked. “Like oddly so for a servants corridor.” Kai nodded. “There’s one to the entryway and a side staircase.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“The twins likely use them too for some reason.” Vale said, he frowned and steepled his fingers. “I hypothesise that they have something to hide, which they are also hiding from the servants, you didn't see anyone in these corridors, did you?” They both shook their heads. “Interesting.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“They have a cellar but it would have taken me a long time to open the locks.” Kai said. “There were four padlocks and the lock in the door. They have to be keeping something underneath there.” There was a sharp keenness in his eyes, like the blue of a gas lamp, flickering almost dangerously.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Vale touched his shoulder. “There was something in the groundskeeper's cottage too.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“A groundskeeper?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“No. It looked like it hadn't been lived in for some time. The carpets were thick with dust, except for footprints in it.” Vale said. He moved back to steeple his fingers. “Finding entry without leaving any trace proved to be quite a challenge, but I found a window with a broken catch do I could get in and onto furniture.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“So they’ve been going in for something.” Catherine said. “Storage maybe?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“The footprints aren't that old.” Vale said. “There were two sets of footprints going in. And none coming out.” That slight dramatic pause had not been necessary, but he’d enjoyed it. “I believe that there is a secret doorway in there, with a passageway back to the house.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“It could be an easier entrance to the house then.” Catherine said. “If we can find the hidden doorway.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“We should go tonight.” Kai said. “I saw no signs of security, and there weren't any yesterday.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“That may have changed if they have Ir- Winters in there.” Vale said. “Nonetheless, I believe that we will have a good chance, what with the research we have done today.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Irene's interlude- part three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>London in winter was bitterly cold with sleet streaking down from the sky and thick, grey sludge lining the gutters before being sprayed up by cab wheels. Irene hurried along the street, not wanting to linger for any longer than she absolutely had to do so.</em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>Kai was waiting for her just inside the door to the house with the kettle already bubbling away on the hob and her nightdress warming up by the fire. He helped her out of her coat and hung it up as she pulled off wet gloves and unpinned her hat before sitting down on the bottom step. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>It is awful out there.” She said. “I don’t know how the cabbies can stand to be out there working right now.” Kai went to his knee and started to undo the buttons on her boot. “I can do that.” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>Let me.” He said, smiling at her. “A small thing for my lady.” Irene laughed. </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>Kai…” She didn't stop him though. He dropped the first boot and then started on the second one. “I know that it is technically my turn to cook the dinner tonight. But, have you considered-” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>What’s the offer?” He asked in a half-laugh. Irene would do almost anything to get out of cooking. Except for maybe doing the laundry but that was mainly due to how fussy he was (if it wasn't being dry cleaned, it had to be done in a specific way.) </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>What do you want?” She asked. </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>Some company whilst I cook.” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>That’s it?” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>Of course.” He said, lightly squeezing her foot, pressing his thumb to the arch of it and making her bite back a groan of pleasure. “I like your company. We can open that bottle of wine from my uncle.” </em><em>Ao Shun had sent several gifts when the embassy had opened, including few bottles of very good alcohol. </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>That does sound good.” She said and tried not to whine when he pulled back and stood up again. “I will get changed and then come to keep you company. He held a hand out to her and pulled her to her feet in a swift, well-practised motion. “And keep you supplied in wine.”</em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>Am I interrupting something?” Catherine asked, leaning on the bannister at the top of the stairs, her copper hair catching the light as she looked down at them.</em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>Hardly.” Kai’s smile was all toothy and cold. “I’m just playing with my little toy.” He looked at Irene again. “Just good for playing with and very little else.” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>Kai…” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>Don’t act so surprised. You always knew that this would happen. Why would I, a prince, want you? You aren't even human. You’re beneath that. Alberich’s daughter.” Irene swallowed down nausea. </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>You said that that didn't matter to you. That you loved me anyway.” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>I lied.” He </em><em>squeezed</em><em> her jaw, fingernails pressing into her skin as he tilted her head back to look her in the eyes. “You disgust me and when I am done using you, when I find someone better, I will throw you away because that’s what you deserve.” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">It wasn't real. It couldn’t be real. It was like the other memory. Someone was messing with her, playing a game in her mind.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She could remember that conversation. She could remember Catherine’s interruption and her complaint that they were being a bit disgusting, even though she’d been smiling as she had said it. She could remember Kai playing up for the effect, sweeping her off her feet and carrying her up to the bedroom despite her protests.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She could remember the taste of the wine.</p><p class="first-line-indent">But she could still hear Kai’s insults. His saying that she was disgusting. That he didn't love her. That she was his toy.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Kai didn't love her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter five</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="first-line-indent">They took a hotel room, more so that they had somewhere to shelter from the rain and properly plan than anything else. Catherine took the opportunity to change into trousers and put her hair into a bun again, the weather having messed up her hair quite a great deal.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Vale was sat at the desk, taking apart and cleaning a pistol that Catherine had seen several times, but had never seen him actually use it. Kai was pacing up and down the room, mainly in silence until someone suggested something and he’d give short blunt answers.</p><p class="first-line-indent">He had no idea how Irene had managed to rescue him so many times. She was always so calm, in such control of her emotions, but he was coming apart at the seams. He’d always had a bit of a temper, no matter what he did to try and contain it and work on that, he was still prone to angering quickly, and it was hard to focus through anger.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Eventually, he threw himself down on the bed. “What do we do if she isn't there?” He finally asked, voicing a fear that had been digging at him, squirrelled away at the back of his mind and finally working its way out. From the silence that met his question, he knew that Catherine and Vale were fearing that as well.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Does the Library have a way to track her?” Catherine asked.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I believe so.” Kai said. “I know that Irene could scry for another Librarian, so they should be able to do the same for her. But you have to be in the same world.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Then we try that.” Vale said. “Either you can find a Librarian, or they’ll come to find her if she doesn’t check-in. And they are unlikely to be able to remove her from the world.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“If they wanted to ransom her, they’ll keep her in the world.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Have you ever been to Venice?” Kai asked Catherine. “Not the one in this world, but one in the depths of Chaos, where there is only Venice?” She shook her head. “I have. They wanted to sell me at an auction. Irene would fetch a high price, she has so many enemies. Alberich knows of that world, she could easily be sent to him.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“He would struggle what with not having a proper body.” Vale pointed out. “But you have a point. Silver would have heard of that though, he may have his… downsides, but the man is an incorrigible gossip.” That did little to ease Kai’s anxiety, though he knew that Vale was right.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“They could auction her from this world and have someone strong enough to carry people between the worlds buy her.” Catherine said in an unhelpful way. “No Fae who couldn’t walk through the spheres would be able to afford her.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Not helping.” Kai said through gritted teeth, wanting to snarl.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“She has to still be in this world.” Catherine said firmly. “Do you want to know how I know that?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“How?” Kai asked, rubbing his forehead.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Well, I was under the impression that dragons can sense people they know and find them in different worlds like a powerful Fae can.” She shrugged. “Surely you can tell us if you sense her in this world.” Kai stared at her. “So?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">He shut his eyes and took a deep breath. “No.” He said.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“What?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I don’t know.” Kai said, forcing his breathing to remain slow and steady. “She isn't in this world, and yet, she is? There are traces of her, like she’s halfway between worlds. I don’t even know if that is possible.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“You can have Fae spheres within spheres, correct?” Vale said, looking to Catherine. “If one is within the train, they are within its a sphere, yet also in whichever sphere that the train is in.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Yes, I don’t really know the metaphysics of it though.” Catherine adjusted her glasses. “If Irene is within a sphere within a sphere, then the twins are working with a more powerful Fae, or…”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Or?” Kai’s eyes snapped open, ruby red and making Catherine stiffen and draw away from him on instinct.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“You must be aware of the fairytale Sleeping Beauty?” She asked. They both nodded. “I have heard about Fae who’s archetypes have a lot in similar with such stories.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“They asked if she was a damsel in distress.” Kai said, his eyes slowly faded back to blue. “I thought that it was a strange question to ask her, too prying in a, sorry Catherine, Fae way.” She shrugged, not caring.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“She could be under a curse, if they are strong enough to do that. If one of them fancies themselves the villain and the other the hero, they could build their power by capturing Irene and holding her as the princess in their story.” Catherine explained, she was fidgeting her fingers with the folds of her shirt tucked into her trousers.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Would that put her in a sphere within a sphere?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“It would like… she’d physically be in this world? But mentally elsewhere.” Catherine said. “I think? I’m sorry, but it was never really an area that interested me, I liked reading the stories but the archetypes never felt right to me.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“How do you bring her back to this world?” Vale asked when Kai did not.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“You would need to wake her up.” Catherine said. “If she’s stuck in their story, you need to go along with it. True loves kiss would be my best guess.” Kai snorted. “I know, it sounds… silly. I’m trying, okay?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“No, it isn't you.” He said, touching her shoulder. “It’s this whole situation. Right, so true loves kiss, if that is even a real thing.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I think it is.” Catherine said a little petulantly. “I could be entirely wrong anyway. It could be something else that I don’t know about, we don’t know. We don’t even know if she’s still in the house! She should have let me keep that stupid compass.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“She was more than happy to smash that thing into many little pieces.” Kai said, he would have liked to be able to keep it too, or at least, have it kept in the house so they could have it in situations just like this. “I admit, it would have helped. But she didn't like it existing, you know how she can be with this kind of thing, she doesn’t even like having people be able to send her post.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">She’d not wanted to live in the embassy building. She’d have preferred an office space and living elsewhere, with her address not easy to locate, allowing herself that sense of security. Kai pointed out that anyone who wanted to track her down, would still know where she’d be almost every single day.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The Library and Ao Guang had suggested that someone should be available at all times, which Kai had volunteered to do, as they didn't have a Fae counterpart at the time and it would allow Irene to have that sense of security of living elsewhere.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She had chosen instead to live in the embassy too, feeling safer with him than without. And he’d helped her find a few cheap flats to rent out just in case they needed somewhere to run off to in case of a security breach.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“It would certainly make things easier right now, but likely a betrayal of trust the rest of the time.” Vale mused. “A shame, but I do agree with Winters’ destruction of the device, who knows what magic Alberich imbued it with in order to get it to function.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">Kai had considered suggesting a few different methods of being able to find each other, draconic methods, but each one suggested… a familiarity that he was unsure of Irene being okay with, or that he was ready for. Exchanging tokens between family members, especially when caring for a younger member, was commonplace enough.</p><p class="first-line-indent">But tokens between romantic partners?</p><p class="first-line-indent">That implied a level of commitment that he wasn't sure that they were ready for. Dragons didn't get married, some had permanent contracts, some exchanged tokens to signify their relationship, they were both permanent bonds to many, and that was quite the commitment.</p><p class="first-line-indent">He didn't know how Irene would react to that.</p><p class="first-line-indent">He didn't want to lose her by pushing further before she was ready for it.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Maybe he should have told her that it was simply a safety thing and not the truth. She was a smart woman though and likely would have worked it out. Or just tell her the truth, why he wanted to do it, and let her decide. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear her say no though.</p><p class="first-line-indent">They hired a cab to take them most of the way to the house, getting out of the cab and walking them the last fifteen minutes toward the house grounds. Kai led the way, with the keenest sights of them all, around the edge, boarded with tall hedges. He held some of the branches back, Catherine wriggled through without any issues but a twig and leaf in the hair, Vale and Kai had more issues and came through a little more scraped than she was.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The grounds were bathed in the pale light of the moon, it cast silver beams across the grass and the flowers. Breathing deeply, they could all smell the heavy scents of the flower beds, it was almost impossible to pick the smell of one bloom from another. It was a dizzying mix that somehow worked together when they shouldn’t do.</p><p class="first-line-indent">They cracked the window easily. Kai boosted Catherine up into it and she tumbled into the room before catching herself before she could pitch herself onto the dusty floor. She pinched her nose before she could sneeze, they had been entirely silent up until this point and she wasn't about to ruin that with a sneeze.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Kai did, however, and they all froze, waiting for the sound of a guard, but there was nothing there. “Easiest break in I have ever had.” Vale muttered. “No security guards, not even a servant out here.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Let’s not wait around to find out if they have a patrol.” Catherine said. It was easy to follow the footprints to a bookcase. She started running her fingers around the edge of the shelves, searching for a hinge.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“We haven't seen one so far.” Kai said. “But I agree. Hidden doorway?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I think we need to work out the code.” Catherine said, stepping back and squinting at the books in the dark, trying to decipher colour or title or author but the moonlight didn't quite reach the shelves and she could barely decipher colour in the gloom and shadow, let alone the lettering.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“That one is almost too easy.” Vale muttered, reaching past her and pulling out a sequence of books. There was a click sound. “Fae, no offence, are a little too predictable.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I know we are.” She sighed. “It can be handy, for you.” She looked at the books that Vale had pulled out of place out of curiosity. The tale of Romulus and Remus. Snow White and Rose Red. Sisyphus and Salmoneus. The Two brothers. “Those are all about twins, aren't they? I don’t know the story of Sisyphus and Salmoneus but...”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“They are the least worn.” Vale said. “I suppose that they could choose titles that mean something to them. He looked at the spines a bit closer. “Do they want us to catch them?” The books were almost entirely undamaged, the pages unturned, but there were the marks of finger impressions on the spine, underneath where he was holding them, the only place that these books had ever been held, pinched at the spine to slide them out of place in order to open the door, and then putting them away again afterwards.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Kai pulled on the door and it slowly swung open without a creak, the hinges smelt like oil.</p><p class="first-line-indent">He didn't look at them before starting down the stairs revealed behind the doorway. Vale replaced the books on the shelves, carefully sliding them into place so that they looked untouched, and pulled the door shut behind them, descending into the darkness.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Catherine ran her fingers over the walls, trying to find a source of light, Kai being the only one able to see wouldn't help them at all. She closed her fingers around a wall sconce. “Will some light be a good idea?” She asked, it shifted in her grip, allowing her to lift it off the wall, it was heavy, but not so heavy that she couldn’t hold it aloft in one hand, though she’d be unable to fumble with matches to light it.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Here.” Vale said, he pulled out a lighter and flicked it open and sparked it twice before lighting the candle. The light was faint, barely stretching two feet away from it, but it was better than nothing. “Can you hold it?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I feel better holding onto something that I can use to smack someone.” She said, thinking of that particularly heavy tome that she’d assaulted Lord Guantes with. It was better to hit someone with a wrought iron… “Oh. Actually...” She gave it to him, and then peeled off one of her gloves and reached out to touch it.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She hissed, suddenly flinching back and withdrawing in on herself, clutching her hand to her stomach, pain flashing through her, the smell of burnt flesh hung on the air for a moment before overwhelmed with that of dust again. “It’s iron. Why is it iron?” She shook her hand, as to shake the pain out of herself.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“An excellent question.” Vale mused, looking up at the candelabra, a few questions beginning to form in the back of his mind. The prison in Venice had used cold iron, to keep back the imprisoned Fae. There was no evidence of the Maddox’s being Fae jailors, there was nothing to suggest that from what they knew of the pair, yet they were prepared for other Fae using their tunnel.</p><p class="first-line-indent">So what were they guarding against?</p><p class="first-line-indent">Who were they guarding against?</p><p class="first-line-indent">Irene had brought up several questions about her… heritage. Her father’s- Alberich (she hated the thought of him being her blood relative) chaotic abilities, his deals with the Fae and her own abilities with the Language had left her wondering if there was something more to her than just her humanity. If he was something else, and in return, made her something else.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She wasn't a Fae though, that much was glaringly obvious.</p><p class="first-line-indent">But they all knew that humans could become Fae.</p><p class="first-line-indent">He had nearly become Fae.</p><p class="first-line-indent">If Catherine was right about Irene being in another sphere within this one, then maybe they were trying to infect her with chaos in the same way that <em>that</em> Venice had done to him, and they were preparing for her attempts at escape.</p><p class="first-line-indent">He was silent as they continued with Kai in the lead, he walked side by side with Catherine. It was cold down in the tunnel, but not freezing cold, and it wasn't damp. There was a smell of dust on the air but there was no odour of damp or rot to it. It was well built, though not regularly cleaned.</p><p class="first-line-indent">There was another door up ahead, the light showing around the edge of it and they all stilled almost simultaneously. It was silent all around them. Vale checked that Catherine was wearing her gloves again before he carefully transferred the candelabra back to her. He stepped up to press his ear to the door, shutting his eyes and holding his breath.</p><p class="first-line-indent">It was silent through the door, there wasn't a whisper of voices or the shifting of feet, nor air and breathing. He signalled for Catherine to move the light closer, and found the door handle. He waited to see if either would stop him, before he twisted the handle and slowly pushed it open.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Irene's interlude- part four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="first-line-indent">“No, no, no.” Irene beat her fists on the ‘floor’. There had to be a way out, a way to free herself. She had to be able to break out in some way or another.</p><p class="first-line-indent">There was always a way out. No matter how bleak it had seemed, no matter how alone and helpless she had felt, there was always a way out. There was always something, a stone left to unturn, a hair-brained scheme that comes together at the last minute.</p><p class="first-line-indent">But the truth was, no matter how alone she had felt, there had always been someone. There had always been someone watching her back, someone to turn to. She had felt alone so often, but she never really had been.</p><p class="first-line-indent">In Venice when she thought that she was alone, Vale had been helping from the shadows. In Alberich’s library, where she was ready to give in and die, Kai had come for her. He’d been with her all through New York too, and waiting for her when she returned home afterwards.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Vale and Kai had both helped her through Paris and they’d had an entire team in Vienna, even if Kai had been the only one that she could truly trust, she’d still had help.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Vale, Kai and even Catherine had been there in Alberich’s archive. She’d felt alone when she’d come to in that circle, but she hadn't been. Catherine had freed herself, Kai had freed himself too, and come searching for her, and Vale had been attempting his own escape attempts.</p><p class="first-line-indent">There had been someone with her, helping her since she had met Kai. He had made sure that she had never been alone, never without help, never hopeless.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She hadn't felt this loneliness since before she’d met Kai. He had done so much for her and she hadn't even realised how much he had changed her life until he was gone.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She had changed, though she still wasn't sure if it was for the better, because of him. She wondered if he knew of the effect that he had had on her life, on the changes that he had caused within her. If he knew that when she smiled and kissed him when he said that he loved her, it was her way of saying it back when the words clogged her throat and threatened to choke her.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She curled her legs up toward her chest. She ached in a way that she wasn't sure that she’d felt before like there was a tightness in her chest. Her heart and lungs pressing in on each other until she was left breathless and her head spinning. Her eyes were burning and she tucked her head underneath an arm, curling up on herself.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She was exhausted. She was exhausted and all alone.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She stretched her legs out again and then rolled over to lay on her back, staring up at the unending black, hoping to see the moon or stars or something, but there wasn't anything out there. It was almost dizzying despite there being nothing at all for her to see.</p><p class="first-line-indent">It was just her.</p><p class="first-line-indent">All alone.</p><p class="first-line-indent">How long had she been alone for?</p><p class="first-line-indent">She couldn’t remember how long she’d been walking. How long had it been since she’d seen Kai? Minutes? Hours? Days? Was he in this hell too? Or had she been left here to be forgotten?</p><p class="first-line-indent">She kept telling herself that Kai wouldn't forget her. He loved her. He said it all of the time. He <em>loved </em>her.</p><p class="first-line-indent">But he’d forget her one day. She knew that it was inevitable. There would be a day where she would have to choose to leave him, or chose to stay and hope that he didn't leave her, rather than watch her age and die. He would outlive her by centuries, find a new life and a new love. Forget her and move on. Maybe start a family of little dragonlings with a beautiful princess. A pairing that his family would accept and approve of, something that they would never be able to have.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>So, what do you think?” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">She stood up again, staggering with nothing to catch hold of, whipping her head around to find Kai. She knew his voice anywhere, in the dark abyss, in their home. She followed it, slowly at first, then picking up her skirts and running.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She blinked, and suddenly, there was light all around her.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>So, what do you think?” Kai was smiling at her as they walked around an empty home. Their empty home. Their soon to be embassy. “I’ll admit, it needs decorating, but I think it could be a good place. Plenty of space downstairs for working and plenty more up here for…” He stepped close, sweeping her into his arms and touching her cheek. “Privacy?” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>Her throat dully ached and she could taste blood as she spoke. “I like the view.” She said. Regent’s park could be beautiful in sunset and from the front bedrooms they would have a clear view out over it. “It’s more modern than the other house. Central heating will be nice.”</em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>I chose well?” Kai, always in need of a smile and a compliment. He was always earnest, looking at her like she was… celestial, the moon in the dark nights. His light. </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>You did.” She said, running her thumb along his jaw. “So, when do we move in?” </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">They’d decorated before moving in. Irene watched the rooms morph and change around her as she wondered about the house. Men putting up wallpaper and painting the skirting boards. Kai passing her books as she stood on a step ladder to reach the top shelf.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Cooking in the kitchen in nightclothes because they didn't want to get dressed yet.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Kai screaming because she’d turned the hot tap on downstairs and he’d been in the shower, suddenly doused with icy water.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Vale coming over.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Catherine moving in, toting boxes up and down the stairs as they decided where everything would be going and staying. She even tried to keep some plants alive but she’d never had much of a green thumb.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Late nights watching the sunset from the end of their bed with glasses of brandy turning golden in the dying light.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Irene had never believed in perfection, but seeing also of this played before her like a film made her change her mind. Watching herself be carefree and happy made her believe that maybe she’d found her perfection.</p><p class="first-line-indent">And she’d lost it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter six</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="first-line-indent">The room beyond the door was lit with burning gas sconces, casting pale light over the room. Over the glass coffin in the middle of the room.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“No.” Kai breathed, he pushed past Vale and Catherine. “This can’t…”</p><p class="first-line-indent">Irene lay in the coffin.</p><p class="first-line-indent">They had dressed her in a heavy-looking white dress. Her skin was nearly as pale as the lace at her throat though she’d had makeup carefully applied, rouged cheeks until they had a healthy rosy colour and painted lips. Her hands were folded across her chest, with a bouquet of roses underneath her fingers. Her hair was loose and curled around her face, having grown out a substantial amount since he’d cut it in New York.</p><p class="first-line-indent">There were flowers in the coffin, she was covered in them, and loose petals too. There were huge vases of flowers around the room as well, at the corners, besides the two doors (the one that they had come in from and one opposite it), and at the corners of the coffin too.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The room was heavy with the smell of lavender and roses.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“They can’t have killed her.” Catherine’s voice was weak and small as she came up beside the coffin as well. “They wouldn't…”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“She isn't dead.” Kai said quietly as he ghosted his hand over the glass of the coffin. “I can still sense her but it’s like she’s getting further away from me even if she’s right here. What are they doing to her?” He pulled his hand back, clenching his fingers into fists, feeling the prickle of his claws beneath his skin.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I have no idea.” Catherine said. “Uncle said that they fancied themselves a part of a fairytale, maybe one thinks themselves the prince, the other the villain?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“We can work out what they are doing later.” Vale said brusquely, trying to drag them back to focus. “It’s locked. We need to get it open and get her out of her as soon as we can.” Kai visibly pulled himself together and nodded, fishing out his lock picks and handing Catherine some for her to use.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Kai was grateful for the distraction, anything to help him hold back the rising anger within him. He could feel the spirits of a nearby body of water rising up in anger too, feeling his feelings, raging his rage. The lock picks in his hands were solid and real, he could clench them in his fists and feel their cool metal press into his skin.</p><p class="first-line-indent">He shut his eyes and took a deep breath, he knew that Irene had a habit of counting to ten under her breath, so he tried that too. He could feel the tell-tale formication of scales across his cheeks and the orbits of his eyes. He craved the power that taking his true form would give him, the power to rip the whole house apart, to summon water, to cause a maelstrom.</p><p class="first-line-indent">But as satisfying as that would have been, it wasn’t the solution.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Anger couldn’t fix everything.</p><p class="first-line-indent">There was a lock at each corner and they got to work. Catherine was the first to look up from her task. “I can’t find any tumblers in this one?” She looked at Vale, opposite her, and Kai, next to her. “I don’t think these are normal locks.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“The glass is too thick to break.” Kai said. “And it could potentially hurt Irene if it shatters wrong. Vale?” The sides of the coffin were leaded glass, the metal providing strength there, and the top seemed to be at least an inch thick. The only weak spots were the two hinges, but they were soldered to the metal edging, leaving no chance of even unscrewing it all.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I think we need to search the house and find more information on how to open this.” Vale said. “There’s no way to move the coffin. They must have had it built down here.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“We can’t just leave her.” Kai said. “They are doing something to her!” She looked dead, but he didn't say that. He didn't want to voice that fear. He didn't know what state she’d be like when they returned for her. Catherine had suggested that she was in some separate world of her own and the fear that they’d be unable to bring her back from that, that she would be lost to the chaos of her own mind, was too much for him.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“We need to find a way to release her from this.” Catherine said, grabbing Kai’s arm. “Then we can worry about waking her up.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">Kai put his hand on the glass above Irene’s chest. There was the slightest shift of her slowly and deeply breathing, a small mercy to be able to see that, even if it was so slight that she did look dead. He slowly breathed out, a silent promise that he would save her in his mind. He would be back. He would find a way to wake her up.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“How though?” He asked, voice distant. “How will we wake her when we don’t even understand what they are doing to her? Why they have done this to her?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Silver has woken her from a similar state before.” Vale said and Kai repressed his nausea at the memory of that man kissing Irene. He’d saved her life, sure, but he had been so disgustingly smug about it afterwards that it had taken a lot of self-control to not break the man’s nose. That and he didn't want his father to change his mind about appointing Kai to the embassy.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Back out through the groundskeeper's house? Or see where the other door goes to?” He was finding it harder and harder to keep his focus on what they were doing, he was going to have to start keeping a to-do list (things to do before losing ones shit) if he wanted to stay on track.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The sound of the bookcase door opening answered that question. Vale quickly shut the door that they’d left open and Catherine picked up the candelabra. The other door was locked, but Kai was fast and had the locks opened in under a minute, shutting it behind them again, they locked with a click as soon as it was closed again.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Catherine blew the candle out. “Where now?” She hissed, recognising the carpeting of the servants' corridors. The passageway from the groundskeeper's cottage must have been a lot longer than they’d realised if the two buildings were connected.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Upstairs.” Vale said. “The servants quarters will be empty.” Kai led the way in a jog toward the backstairs, Catherine glad that she didn't have to worry about keeping a hold of her skirts as she took the stairs two at a time in order to be able to keep up with Kai and Vale.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The smell of dust in the attic was almost overwhelming, it was thick on the unwashed carpets and heavy drapes. Kai used the cuff of his shirt to cover his mouth and nose before he could choke on it.</p><p class="first-line-indent">None of the doors were locked, Catherine picked a random one and they entered. It was a very basic room with a bed and wardrobe with a set of drawers on one side of it. The windows were covered in heavy curtains to keep the light in or out. The bed was still made and Catherine stripped the top blanket off it and pushed it around the cracks at the bottom of the door before relighting her candle.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Hopefully they aren't looking for this.” She muttered. She sat on the floor. “What do we do?” She looked between them, unsure desperation in her eyes.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Kai sat with his back against the foot of the bed and cradled his head in his hands. “I don’t know.” He confessed. “Those weren't normal locks, we cannot break the glass. She is trapped and I don’t know what to do.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“We need to locate the keys to the locks.” Vale said. “That’s step one. We can do that in one of two ways, we can search the house in a stealthy manner, or we can take the twins and the butler, tie them up and demand the answers that we need from them.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I vote for the second one.” Catherine said. “We can get them to open the coffin and we can find out what they have done to her and why.” The why was the one bit that they were all sticking on. Why choose Irene? She was well placed and her disappearance would not go unnoticed by both Kai and Sterrington, and the Library.</p><p class="first-line-indent">If they wanted a Librarian, she certainly was the easiest target, a Librarian who’s location was public information, but she was also the one that they’d soon notice was missing. But why they would want a Librarian was another query.</p><p class="first-line-indent">They being after Irene, in particular, was a far more likely answer, though what the question was was an unknown again. There was a spider web of unanswered questions and answers without questions with the Maddox twins somewhere in the middle and Irene imprisoned within the webbing.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“The first option will be safer.” Kai said after a long pause as he finished fantasising about beating the twins into a bloody pulp. “Our first priority needs to be to get Irene out of here safely.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“We may need information from them in order to wake her.” Vale had sat on the bed and had balanced his elbows on his knees to steeple his fingers, deep in thought already. “I agree that our first priority is to get Irene to a safe location, however, the likely hood of us being able to do that is slim.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“What do you suggest?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“We imprison them in one room, and then search the house.” Vale said. “We should wait for them to be in their rooms for the night and we can take them one at a time.” Kai rubbed his temples. “Something the matter, Strongrock?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I’m trying to figure out how Irene would do it.” He said, voice slightly muffled. “How she has always managed to rescue me, no matter what. She’s always managed it and yet as soon as she is gone? I fall apart. I would tear this house apart if it would help her, but it wouldn't.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“You just have different strengths.” Catherine said, watching the wax begin to bead and run down the side of the candle. “Irene is good at logistics and planning.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“And I am good at losing my temper and causing more trouble than I tend to be worth.” Kai muttered. Neither Catherine nor Vale had a response to that, Vale despising conversations with high running emotions (not that he knew how to deal with those anyway) and Catherine simply being at a loss for words.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Maybe so,” Vale finally said. “But your willingness to beat yourself up is of help to no one right now, especially not Winters.” Kai sighed.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I know.” Kai said. “We… wait until we think that they are all asleep. Where do we put them? Tie them up to dining chairs?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“That should do the trick.” Vale said. “And there is unlikely to be anything in there to help them free themselves.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I can stay to guard them?” Catherine suggested. She pulled her knife out of her boot. “I’m getting better at fighting. I think.” She looked at Kai.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I will admit that there is an improvement,” He said. “But no matter how good you are, I will not leave you alone in a dangerous situation.” He shook his head. “Don’t argue with me, Catherine. I would rather do it myself or knock them unconscious, better that than them having the opportunity to hurt you. I think Irene would kill me if I ever let anything happen to you.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">It had been a hastily tacked on statement to save face. Favouring a Fae? Caring for her and keeping her safe the same way that he would do any friend? His kin would find it disgusting. They would punish him for displaying such soft emotions toward the girl.</p><p class="first-line-indent">That didn't stop the fierce protectiveness that he held for her.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Alright.” Catherine quietly said. “Who do you think that it was coming down to the cellar?” She jumped the topic without a segue, not wanting to dwell on Kai's statement. She wanted to argue it and yet she savoured the feeling of safety that she had when she was with him. He was good to his word, she would be safe with him.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Probably Alwyn.” Kai said. “He was quite short and rude to us.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“That is hardly a decent judge of character.” Vale muttered.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I though Alwyn was quite pleasant.” Catherine frowned. “It was Aeron that gave me a bad feeling, especially when I left, he was watching from the window to make sure that I had actually left. I was wondering if they pretended to be each other sometimes.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“They are pretty much identical but they do have different hair colours.” Kai said. “I suppose that they could be simply wearing wigs and switching them over.” Vale’s lips quirk into a half-smile. “I am not sure how likely that would be though.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I am sure that we can work that bit out.” Vale said. He checked his watch. “I think if we wait in here for an hour, whoever it was in the cellar should have finished whatever business that they have and we shall be free to move around the house.” He looked around the room.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Time to make rope out of the bedsheets?” Kai asked wryly.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Exactly what I was thinking mister Strongrock.” They made quick work of the sheets on the bed and the ones in the drawers as well, cutting them into strips and then braiding them together, they weren't the strongest but it would do in a pinch and there was plenty of it so if they couldn’t manage knots that would take a long period of time to undo, the sheer number of knots to undo would make up for it.</p><p class="first-line-indent"><br/>
<br/>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">##</p><p class="first-line-indent"><br/>
<br/>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">He undid the locks around the edge of the coffin, sliding the thin and unusual keys into the corresponding keyholes and turning them with a click. He put them back into his pocket before slowly lifting the heavy glass lid, it was hinged at the back.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“There we go.” He said, stepping back. “See if she is ready.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I don’t like this idea.” The other said. “Her friends are surely looking for her and we were the ones to see her last.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Whatever. By the time they find her, it will be too late and she will be ours forever. See if she is ready.” Their words hardened like ice, very much an order and not at all a request. The other slowly exhaled and stepped up to the coffin, bending down to kiss Irene, brushing the petals of a rose off her rouged cheeks.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Irene stayed porcelain doll still and they pulled away again.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“She needs more time.” The first man said. “When she is ready to wake, she will have no memories of anyone else loving her.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“If she doesn’t die first. She does need to eat and drink still.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Relax. I know what’s I’m doing. She’ll wake up just fine when she’s ready.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Irene's interlude- part five</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="first-line-indent">Walking aimlessly hadn't helped her. The memories had become twisted in front of her eyes. Doing nothing hadn't helped either. She dragged herself up off the floor, staggering without anything to grasp onto.</p><p class="first-line-indent">It was a strange experience, stumbling over nothing without nothing to catch a hold of. She didn't know how she didn't just plunge downward. Or upward. Direction had sort of ceased to mean anything when there were no markers of any way that she could be going in.</p><p class="first-line-indent">It triggered her vertigo and Irene had to take a long time to wait for her head to stop spinning. The… world around her wasn't moving, which was making it even worse.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She wasn't sure if she could throw up, but she thought that she was about to.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She shut her eyes and took a deep breath, waiting for all of the unpleasant sensations to fade away.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Her next plan, when she stopped feeling like she was on the waltzers at a cheap funfair, was to try and find one of the memories. It wasn't logical, but her only hope was that there was maybe a way out through one of the memories, if she could find it before it twisted around on her.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She tried to think of a memory, to chose one of her own. Maybe if she’d chosen it, it wouldn’t turn on her. If she was in control, there would be answers and escape.</p><p class="first-line-indent">When she opened her eyes again, she was sat in front of a piano.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>Kai, why on earth would we need a piano?” She asked, watching him lovingly stroke the mahogany wood. “I mean, it is absolutely beautiful, but it isn't like either of us are pianists.” She knew that he could play, she’d heard it before, but he’d never expressed keen interest in owning his own piano. Just the occasional lament that he’d had a beautiful one in his father’s home. </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“<em>I think it looks nice.” He smiled from the piano to her. “Even you have to admit that it looks lovely. And I do play, now I will be able to play much more often.” He sat at the cushioned bench and patted the seat next to him before opening the lid and placing his fingers on the keys. </em></p><p class="first-line-indent">Irene ignored the music and started looking around the room. It was exactly how she remembered it, except that the door was shut, they usually left the lounge door open unless there was a meeting going on, but when it was just the two of them, it was rarely shut, same as the kitchen door.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She opened it and stepped out. Into their hallway. That was disappointing. She’d hoped that maybe, she knew that it was a stupid wish, that she’d be out into the real world again. It was dark in the hallway. She could hear the piano playing, but she could see Kai sat on the stairs in his nightclothes.</p><p class="first-line-indent">This was a different memory.</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>Irene padded down the stairs, wrapped up in her dressing robe. Kai was still asleep, but she’d never managed to drift off. She’d lay there for hours before finally getting up. She’d been careful to not wake Kai, as much of a light sleeper as she was. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>She turned on the lights in the lounge and sat down at the piano. There was new sheet music on it, a new booklet. She picked it up and opened it. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em> To Irene, </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em> I hope that you like these pieces. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em> Xxx</em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>She smiled. She knew that Kai knew she got up in the middle of the night sometimes and that he would never say it to her. He’d left flowers on the piano for her before, but never a note. There were a few other notes in the booklet of music, Kai’s perfect handwriting with little messages for her. A heart drawn on the corner of a few pages. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>She started playing, fingers finding the keys as her eyes drifted over the notes on the paper. She knew the piece already, having heard it before, having played versions in other worlds. This one was a little different, it was interesting to hear the different versions of pieces of music, like books that differed by a solitary quote.</em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>She could hear a door open upstairs and then the creak of the stairs, Kai coming to listen to her perhaps? He would never come into the room and he was always back in bed when she started to head upstairs. Footsteps coming closer, her fingers faltered on the keys. He’d never come into the room to actually watch her when she played at night. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>The door didn't open though. She kept playing until she was too tired and keeping her eyes open was a struggle. She ran her fingers across the sheet music, perfectly unmarked. That made her frown. Why would there be any marks in the first place? She wasn't the kind to write on it. She shook her head and put it away with the other sheet music that she’d collected. Or had it been gifted to her? She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been in a music shop but she must have been.</em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>The hallway was dark. For some reason, she expected to see someone sat on the stairs. That would have made sense, after all, she’d heard someone in the hallway. But she was alone as she made her way upstairs and passed the spare bedroom/her private study. Her bed was empty too. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>She was sure that she should have been crawling into a warm bed and someone's arms. But she was alone. She always worked alone, why would she had a bedmate? Why would there be anyone waiting for her? Her relationships had never lasted after all. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>She lived alone.</em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>She always had done.</em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter seven</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="first-line-indent">They held their breath as the corridor creaked outside. Catherine looked at Kai with wide eyes, he touched a finger to his lips. The room that they were in clearly hadn't been used for years, but they hadn't checked any of the other rooms and it only made sense that the butler slept in the attic too.</p><p class="first-line-indent">There was a click of the door shutting and Catherine exhaled. “Him first.” Vale said grimly. They all nodded. Kai had looped the ‘rope’ around itself and slung it over his shoulder as Catherine moved the sheets that she’d used to stuff underneath the edge of the door.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The hallway lights were dimmed but there was bright light seeping out from underneath one of the bedroom doors. They didn't need to speak to be able to communicate that they needed to do this fast and quiet. Sounds echoed so easily through these manor houses and they didn't want to wake the brothers before they were ready for that.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Even Vale had to admit that the last thing that they wanted was police involvement. They would muddy things up and they wouldn't understand. This was more than what they normally dealt with and trying to explain what was going on would take far too long and be far too irritating.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Kai pointed at Catherine, and then at the floor. She frowned and shook her head. He pointed at her again, and then at the stairs, frowning back. She opened her mouth to argue before she made a quite noise of annoyance (he was sure that she would have snarled if they weren't trying to be quiet), and backed off to the stairs. She crossed her arms and pouted, Kai almost looked apologetic, but he didn't quite manage it.</p><p class="first-line-indent">He looked at Vale and held up three fingers. Counting them down, before they threw the door open. The butler had been sat at a table, he started to his feet. Kai’s fist caught him in the stomach before he could cry out though, winding him and cutting off any shout for help.</p><p class="first-line-indent">It wasn't a struggle to have him bound and gagged in a matter of seconds. Almost too easy but they expected that of a mere servant. Kai rapped him on the back of the neck and his head slumped forward in a dead faint.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Let’s leave him here whilst we get the brothers.” Kai said.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Right.” Vale added a couple of more knots, binding him to the chair at the desk, just in case he woke up and tried to escape.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Am I allowed to help with the next one?” Catherine asked in a hissed whisper as they started downstairs.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“No.” Kai said. “I don’t want for you to get hurt.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Will you stop treating me like I am a child?” She demanded, still keeping her voice low. “I am seventeen, not seven. I would appreciate it if you acted like I was a competent member of this party. I want to help, Irene. I can’t help if you keep wrapping me up in cotton wool.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“And I can’t in good consciousness put you in danger.” Kai said.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Oh yes, because Irene won’t forgive you. You don’t actually care.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Catherine.” Kai stopped and turned to her with flashing eyes. “I could not live with myself if you got hurt, or worse. I am wanting to keep you safe because I care. So please, listen to me when I tell you to put yourself somewhere safe.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Okay.” Catherine said softly, her argument dying on her tongue. “Alright.” He squeezed her shoulder before they had to get back to work.</p><p class="first-line-indent">They didn't know where the brothers’ bedrooms were, so carefully and quietly, they made their way from one room to the next, checking them before moving on. They went through half a dozen empty bedrooms before they found the first brother.</p><p class="first-line-indent">He was already asleep, making their job considerably easier. They had him half bound before he even woke up and Vale shoved some scrap fabric into his mouth to stop him shouting, a rudimentary but very effective gag. He thrashed in Kai’s grip, making it a damn lot harder to tie his hands together.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Just knock him out.” Kai said to Vale, holding him down with a knee to his abdomen, a good way to prevent him getting up, but between that and a tight grip on the brother’s hands, he couldn’t do it himself. Vale’s method of knocking a person out wasn't as neat as Kai’s own, a swift strike to the temple, but it worked.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“What the-” Catherine recognised Alwyn’s voice behind her. He must have still been awake and been coming up to go to bed, seeing her stood in the corridor. She spun around to face him. “Catherine?” She punched him as hard as she could (she wasn’t the strongest) and luckily caught him just below the end of his sternum.</p><p class="first-line-indent">‘Luckily’</p><p class="first-line-indent">Kai had spent an entire afternoon teaching her how to do that in the most effective way. She’d never actually got the chance to try it as neither Kai nor Irene were too keen on getting hit there if it was avoidable, and apparently going to visit her uncle for the sole purpose of trying to punch him hard enough that he became religious and gave up on his several dozen affairs to convert to Catholicism was a bit rude.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Alwyn dropped like an ungainly sack of potatoes, gasping for breath. She kicked him in the back to get him onto his front, and then she sat down on his back, knowing that she was not strong enough to pin a fully grown man, but knowing that she was probably heavy enough that foppish socialite would struggle to push her off when she was kneeling between their shoulder blades.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She was right and he gave up struggling in favour of gasping for breath very quickly.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Kai’s jaw dropped when he came out of the room and saw her sat on top of the Fae. She smiled. “So, turns out, I am actually incredibly good at punching people in the stomach.” She said, almost gleefully. “I didn't realise that it would be quite so effective though.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">He laughed in spite of everything going on. “I told you that it would be.” He said, beginning to bind Alwyn’s hands behind his back. “I am sorry for doubting you. Alright. I’ll drag this one downstairs.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“It’s Alwyn.” She said. “I think.” Kai nodded. The person assumed to be Alwyn muttered something into the floor but they ignored it. He tried to move when Catherine got off his back, but Kai hauled him up and kept a tight grip on the back of his collar, pulling a little tighter than was absolutely necessary.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Vale had to carry Aeron downstairs, having knocked him cleanout. Alwyn started struggling against Kai when he saw his brother being carried into the dining room and deposited on one of the chairs for Catherine to bind as he went back upstairs to retrieve the butler.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“We have spare for a gag, right?” Kai muttered. Catherine passed off a free length of knotted sheets. “Perfect. Now, mister Maddox, I’m going to gag you and when we are ready to speak to you, I’ll undo it.” Alwyn tried to bite him.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“There we go.” Vale said a bit breathlessly as he put the butler down. He cracked his back before wincing. “Shall we search the rest of this place?” Kai succeeded in getting the gag in Alwyn’s mouth without having his fingers bitten off.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I think that would be best. Leave those two to come around and think about what they want to tell us.” Kai said, brushing his hands off on his thighs, not that there was anything on them, toying his clothes in the same way he did his hair, a nervous habit that he’d never managed to grow out of.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I’ll take the study.” Catherine said. “Maybe I’ll recognise some of the books.” There were Fae books, fairy tales but not quite. Rarer than the human ones, very similar stories but very much real in a way that the human ones never had been. She wondered if the Library had ever got their hands on such tomes, but Irene hadn’t know where to start looking for them.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She had no issue with making a mess of the study. The brothers seemed to share it, with two large desks surrounded by ornate bookcases with glass doors to keep dust off the books. It was disappointingly pristine. Until she started going through the papers and discarding them wherever they fell.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She continued to make a mess as she went through everything, the only things that she put back neatly was the books, she may be furious and scared but she still was never going to be the kind of person to ruin books without a reason to do so, like throwing them at a Fae who wanted to hurt someone.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She pulled a desk drawer and upended it, tapping her fingers along the bottom of it before repeating with the three other drawers. She was hoping for a hollow bottom. That was stereotypical and the benefit of a chaotic world, and Fae, was just as Vale had pointed out earlier, it made things perfectly predictable.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She sat back in the chair and looked around the room and smiled as her eyes settled on the paintings in very well dusted frames. She bounded to her feet and across the room. The third painting swung open on hidden frames, it was the simplest painting with a very plain frame and held a small safe behind it.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Irene had told her about such things existing outside of the literature. People were predictable, even if they were normal people. And rich people had the money for such things. Alwyn and Aeron weren't nobility, but they were rich.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She knew that she had no hope of guessing the code for the safe, she wasn't sure how many possibilities there would be for the safe but it was probably upward of a few hundred, potentially, even more, depending on how many numbers went into the code.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She wondered if Vale would know, that seemed like the kind of thing that he would know, so she left to find him. She poked her head into the dining room, Alwyn tried to shout at her through the gag and the other two were still asleep.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I found a safe.” Vale was stripping one of the bedrooms with the ease of someone who was used to searching through belongings. “It has a dial, I don’t have a clue where to start with that, do you?” He straightened up from searching through doors, like her, he was discarding what he’d already checked wherever it fell.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“What’s the make?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Forthright and sons.” She said, she’d noted the name on a plaque at the top of it.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Excellent.” Vale said, brushing his gloved hands off on his trousers.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“It has to have hundreds of codes.” He shook his head.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“That maker has built-in… a backdoor, so to speak, easy to open if you know what you are looking for. Show me where it is.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Irene's interlude- part six</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>Irene cleaned down the kitchen counter and threw the cloth toward the sink, she missed and it landed on the tiled floor with a wet slapping sound. She huffed and walked over, picking it up and dropping it into the sink this time. The kettle chose that as the perfect time to whistle and she spun back toward the hob and turned the gas off. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>She frowned at the two teacups on the side. She shook her head. She must have got one out, and then forgotten, and got out a second one without noticing. She filled the teapot, inhaling the fragrant smell of the leaves as she left them to steep. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>She carried her cup of tea to her desk and set it down next to her paperwork. Her eyes settled on the vase of red roses sat on the corner of her desk, and she frowned. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>She didn't remember buying those. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>She must be getting forgetful. Work stress or something. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>She wouldn't buy herself roses and then forget all about it, surely not. That was just ridiculous, but there they were, blood red petals in an array of buds and fully bloomed flowers with petals that looked soft to the touch. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>And they were. They were like velvet underneath the pad of her finger.</em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>When the doorbell rang, she started. And promptly swore when she managed to catch her finger on a rose’s thorn, her blood the same red as the petals as it beaded at the cut and began to roll down her finger. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>The doorbell rang and she clenched the wounds finger to the palm of her hand as she hurried to answer it. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>She reached for a bolt and… she really needed to put a bolt there, one lock and the chain simply wasn't enough security when she was living all alone. London wasn't safe for anyone, Library wards or not. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>Library wards didn't stop burglars unless they were Fae in nature after all and Librarians had many enemies, some of whom were just normal humans. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>People usually didn't like being stolen from. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>There was no one on the door step. She looked up and down the road before deciding that it was probably children, there were quite a few living on the same street, playing a game. Most alternates had a version of ding-dong-ditch after all. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>She sighed and shook her head, locking the door behind her again, her finger still throbbing and bleeding. She looked down at it. Her blood was the same colour as the rose petals had been, a bold and vibrant red in a world of grey and black, so bleak. She sometimes wondered if she could just ask to return to being a journeyman, stop wondering what was missing from this world and leave it. </em>
</p><p class="first-line-indent">
  <em>She was lonely. </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter eight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="first-line-indent">The safe yielding a great deal of information, though the vast majority of it was of little use to them. There was the deed to the house, with both of their names on it as well as an assortment of other pieces of paperwork from bank statements to a pair of old birth certificates.</p><p class="first-line-indent">What they found that was of use was a ring of four keys, odd keys, they were very long and thin, far longer than any lock pick would have been, with very sharp teeth at the end. Vale scrutinised them, he was sure that they were for the coffin, the length would explain their inability to break into it, and they were new judging by the lack of weathering to the metal, and how sharp that the teeth were.</p><p class="first-line-indent">He put them into an inner pocket before Kai could go rushing downstairs to free Irene. They didn't know what there was more to it than just the coffin. Catherine’s suggestion of a high chaos world just for Irene made sense, however, he wasn't sure how it would work.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Was the coffin’s interior high chaos? Magic imbued into the metal? Or had she been given something? A drug perhaps? Something concocted in a high chaos world. Irene had explained the Fae archetypes to him before, a mad scientist certainly seemed like the kind of person to create a drug that would do this sort of thing, he just didn't know if it was possible.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Kai’s lack of complaints about any chaos levels made it hard to come up with anything but mere theories, and what they needed was more concrete than theory.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Do we have anything else?” Catherine asked tiredly, her eyelids felt too heavy as exhaustion began to set in, it was well on its way to dawn, though Kai and Vale showed no signs of feeling the same fatigue as the young Fae.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“The letters sent between the brothers and Sterrington, and then them and Irene as well.” Kai said. He’d helped Irene draft them. “There’s nothing in those that I wasn't already aware of.” Vale nodded.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“They were very careful with all of this.” Vale said. “I haven't found any evidence of… well, anything. If it wasn't for Winters being here, I would struggle to prove their involvement at all. I am curious about what was used to sedate you though, what they used and if she has been given something else as well.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Let’s go and ask them.” Kai’s eyes flashed like rubies lit by firelight, barely withheld fury bright in them, speaking of untold strength and anger. They may not be all too close to the river but there was more water than just that that he could call to himself. He was confident that, if he so wished, he could bring the house down about the brothers’ ears.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Vale grabbed his shoulder. “I think it is best that you let me do the talking.” He said firmly. “I mean you no insult but we need to be smart about this.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I know.” Kai’s voice was a near growl. “We need to get her out of here before whatever they are doing hurts her in some way, if it hasn't already.” Vale nodded.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Both of the brothers were conscious when they re-entered the room, Aeron’s eyes unfocused as he tried to look at them, head lolling to the side slightly. Alwyn attempted to spit curses through the gag.</p><p class="first-line-indent">They ungagged Aeron first.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“What have you done to miss Winters?” Vale asked simply, voice void of anger or emotion yet somehow still demanding a response. Aeron looked up at him, pupils blown wide, before dropping his head again with a groan of pain. “Mister Maddox, we have the keys to the coffin, we are going to let her out.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“But you haven't yet?” He didn't sound angry, just resigned, tired.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“We want to know what was done to her so that we don’t hurt her any further.” She’d been in the coffin (assumedly) for over twenty-four hours, she’d likely be suffering from dehydration at the very least, before they got to whatever was being used to keep her unconscious.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“You can’t wake her.” Aeron shook his head. “He made it impossible.” They looked to Alwyn.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“What is he doing?” Kai demanded.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“You are trying to turn her into a Fae.” Vale answered for both of them. “That’s why there was iron downstairs, wasn't it?” Alwyn tried to speak but they ignored him. “You want her to be Fae, and you don’t want her to be able to fight back.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“A Fae Librarian. Imagine that.” Aeron said. “She’d be so powerful. Unstoppable.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“But why are you doing it?” He just shook his head. “Maddox, you are going to be dealing with a lot more than the police of <em>this</em> world. You took the ambassador for the Library! We are not even the worst of it. She-” he pointed at Catherine. “Knocking you down is going to be a walk in the park when the dragons get their hands on you, and don’t think that they won’t.” He shook his head again.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“We have ways of dealing with Fae.” Kai’s voice was slow and icy. “But no, I don’t think we will be the one dealing with him. We can give him to the Cardinal. I am sure that he will… enjoy that.” He watched both of the men flinch at that threat.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I am sure that if we send a message to my uncle, he will be able to have the Cardinal’s people here to deal with them within the next…” Catherine looked at the clock on the wall. “I’d say twelve hours at the absolute most.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Miss Winters was approved by the Cardinal.” Vale said. “Imagine his anger at finding out what you have done to her. So, what do we need to do to be able to wake her up?” He looked between them, and then pulled Alwyn’s gag out too. “Well?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“You can’t.” He laughed. Kai crossed the room in a flash and struck him hard, his head snapping back and there was the tell-tale popping sound of a nose being broken.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“What have you done to her?” Catherine demanded, voice cracking almost painfully.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Librarians all have the same weakness.” Alwyn muttered before spitting blood and saliva out onto Kai’s boot. “They have no family. No one to love them, no one that they love.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“You were correct.” Vale said to Catherine, the first to recover.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Even if she did ever have someone loving her, she won't remember them soon. We were going to wait until she was a clean slate and wake her ourselves. Maybe it’s already too late.” He grinned, blood dripping down his face. “Maybe she’s forgotten all three of you already. Good riddance I say.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">Catherine grabbed Kai by the hand. “Come on. They just want to make you angry.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">Vale unlocked the coffin and carefully lifted up the heavy lid, it didn't creak. “I think that this is the most peaceful I have ever seen her.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Well, I hate it.” Catherine said, jabbing Kai in the shoulder. “Go on. Wake her up.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">Kai touched Irene’s cheek. Vale had been right, Irene never was this peaceful, even when she was asleep, there was a crease between her brows and pursed lips during a nightmare and a gentle smile during a good dream.</p><p class="first-line-indent">He leant down and pressed his lips to hers. She was cold.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Kai straightened up. Nothing. She didn't stir. There was just… nothing.</p><p class="first-line-indent">He staggered backwards, feeling weak at the knees. “It didn't work.” He rasped, throat constricting, choked by his emotions. Catherine stepped forward to stand next to the coffin.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“It has to.” She said, looking back at Kai. “Maybe she just needs time to wake up, for the magic to work.” She flicked her head back to the coffin, silently praying that Irene would just… blink her eyes open. “It… she has to wake up.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Catherine…” Kai’s back hit the wall and he sagged against it. “This isn't a story. Irene and I aren't characters in a story, our lives are just that. Lives.” He rubbed his burning eyes. “Maybe it’s because I’m a dragon, maybe we aren't ‘true loves’, if that even exists outside of the Fae.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“It has to exist.” Catherine tried to sound firm, but her voice was shaking. “It has to be real, you and Irene are disgustingly in love and if that isn't true love then I don’t know what is.” She breathed deeply, chest heaving. “It has to be real. I need it to be real! I lost my parents Kai! I can’t lose her too. I-” Her voice cracked painfully and she let out a strangled sob.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I’m sorry, Catherine.” Kai said quietly. “I don’t know what more there is to do.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">Tears ran down Catherine’s cheek as she leant down to rest her forehead on Irene’s shoulder, her whole body shaking as she cried. Vale reached out and touched her back lightly.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“We aren't giving up.” He said, voice rough. “There are still things to try. We can take her to your uncle, he’s woken her once, maybe he can do it again.” He looked to Kai. “And if he can’t, someone from the Library will come to look for her, we can ask for their help, or the dragons, just because it didn't work, doesn’t mean that we are giving up.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">He pulled Catherine up and lifted her down from the dais, handing her to Kai when he held his arms out for her. Kai folded his arms around her into a tight hug. Vale looked down at Irene and sighed, before fixing some of the hair that had been moved out of place. Someone had taken the time to neatly braid her hair and weave flowers into it.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Catherine? What do these flowers mean? It’s never been something that I have studied.” He asked. She sniffled and pulled away from Kai to look back at Irene.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She sniffed again and Vale offered her his handkerchief. “Uh, the red roses mean love.” She swallowed. “Lilacs… I think that they were meant to be for family? Daisies have lots of meanings, it depends on the situation.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“What would you suggest?” He pressed.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Loyalty? Maybe?” She shrugged. “I think they are usually sent to new mothers though. It really does depend.” She rubbed her eyes. “I don’t know, Vale.” Vale pressed his lips together and slowly nodded. “I’m sorry.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“You don’t need to apologise.” Kai said and Vale nodded. “What are you thinking, Vale?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“It is an interesting choice of flowers.” He shrugged. “It could mean nothing, or it could mean everything, one of those situations really.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“What do we do now?” Catherine asked.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I’m not sure.” Kai admitted. “Do we take her with us?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“It is probably a good idea.” Vale nodded. “Or we reseal it and hope that she will be safe.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“No, I am not taking that chance.” Kai said. “I’ll carry her.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Could you try, just one more time?” Catherine asked. “I know that… I am being stupid and desperately naive. But please. One last time.” Kai sighed and wondered if the pain in his chest was what it felt like to have his heart rended in two.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“It can’t hurt to try.” Vale said. He looked down at Irene, she was so pale but they’d applied rouge to her cheeks and lips, giving her a porcelain doll look, so unnatural from the unruly spitfire woman that he knew that Irene truly was. “If true love is the fix… I know you and Winters well enough by now to know that I have never seen anyone as perfect for each other as you are.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Wait… No.” Catherine said, shaking her head as Kai stepped forward. “Vale, you kiss her first.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Excuse me?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“You said that the flowers may have meaning. You don’t have to kiss her on the lips or anything.” Catherine said, her eyes suddenly bright again. “Love has more than one form, the Greeks had seven words for it.” Vale looked at Kai.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“She does care about you.” Kai said. “Both of you, you are her family, even if not by blood.” Vale looked at Irene, before sighing, and brushing his lips across her forehead, and stepping back.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“See? Nothing.” Catherine practically pushed him out of the way in order for her to reach, and kiss Irene’s cheek, then, she turned to Kai.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Your turn.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">Kai sat where Catherine had been crying and stroked Irene’s cheek with the back of his finger. He wanted this to work, if not for their sakes, for Catherine’s. But he wasn't sure if he believed in true love, and if he didn't believe, was it even real? Could he wake her if he didn't believe in them?</p><p class="first-line-indent">Kai loved Irene, he loved her in a way that he had no idea he was capable of, his waking thoughts were filled with her, and his dreams were too. So many memories of times spent in the old house, before they were even together, and he knew that he loved her back then too, preferring her friendship to nothing at all, if that was all that he could have.</p><p class="first-line-indent">And then, he could have more. They could have more and she had kissed him hard enough to knock the air out of his lungs and make him grin like a giddy idiot. She did that to him.</p><p class="first-line-indent">He shut his eyes and leant down, cupping her jaw with long fingers, and pressing his lips to hers, begging his ancestors that she’d wake, that he would have his love again. <em>His </em>love.</p><p class="first-line-indent">If true love did exist like it did in the stories, what was to say that it didn't take other forms like Catherine had suggested. Irene was loved in more ways than just romantic, and she loved in return.</p><p class="first-line-indent">His chest ached as he sat back again.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Irene lay still, her eyes still shut, her skin still unnaturally white. He dropped his head, wanting to shout, scream, do anything. “Nothing.” He finally managed to say, swallowing anger, though he could feel claws at his fingertips, wanting to find those brothers and tear them to bloody shreds for taking her away from him, away from them. “I’m sorry Catherine, but I don’t think we can fix this.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">He stepped away from the coffin, fingers lingering on Irene’s cheeks as he slowly exhaled. “I’m sorry.” He said, much more quietly this time, apologising to Irene. He just wasn't enough.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“We need to get out of here.” Vale said, stepping forward and brusquely starting to remove the flowers, there was so many of them that, in some places, parts of Irene’s body were hidden underneath their weight. “I’m sorry Strongrock, but we are likely out of time.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">He slid a hand under Irene’s knees and went to start pulling her out when she groaned, and he stilled.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“She’s waking up.” Catherine said. Vale shifted her back to where she’d been laying, and watched as her eyelids flicker, not opening just yet, but a clear sign that she was rousing. They both looked to Kai, who was staring open-mouthed. “Kai?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">His name drew him back to the room and he shut his mouth, sitting on the edge of the coffin and pulling Irene into his arms, cradling her against his chest and cupping her face again. <em>Please.</em> He begged anyone listening.<em> Give her back to me. Back to us.</em></p><p class="first-line-indent">“Irene.” He said her name softly. “Come on, come back to us.” He kissed her again, hoping with all hope that, somehow, she could feel his love for her through the touch of his lips.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Irene gasped against his lips and suddenly she was clinging to him and kissing him back.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Then, she pulled back. “What the hell is going on?” She demanded, looking around the room. “Where am I, what am I wearing and what is going on?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“We can explain later.” Catherine said.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“And who are you?” Everyone else froze, staring at Irene in mute shock.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“That isn't funny.” Catherine said. “It is not at all funny, Irene.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“How do you know my name?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Irene.” Kai touched her shoulder and she shrugged his hand off.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“And as for you? How dare you?” She hissed. “I have told you time and time again that I will not have relations with my student. You couldn’t listen to that though, could you?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">Kai’s head was reeling and he felt nauseated.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Winters, he hasn't been your student for several months now.” Vale said in a low voice. “And that is Catherine, your new student.” Irene’s laugh was sharp.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“This isn't a funny joke.” She said. “What is going on?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“This is going to have to wait.” Kai forced himself to say, holding back seething rage. He didn't offer Irene a hand, instead, Vale stepped forward to do that. “You were kidnapped by a pair of Fae.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Am I in a wedding dress?” She asked, looking at the heavy dress, it was uncomfortable on her hips.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“We think so.” Vale said. “Like I said, it is going to have to wait. We need to leave. Now.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter nine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Welcome back to part two and it is time to make people hurt a little bit more</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="first-line-indent">Irene had to ring the doorbell to be let in, stood on the second to the top step with both of her hands tightly wrapped around the small case in her hands until she could feel her knuckles begin to ache.</p><p class="first-line-indent">It wasn't the house that she remembered, but it was the one that she’d been given the address to and told that she lived there now. She’d been away for two weeks, the Library wanting to run their own tests, and then reaching out to other people for their assistance, all the while that she was being extremely uncooperative when she could get away with it.</p><p class="first-line-indent">A message had been passed along from the Cardinal, apparently, a high power Fae that she seemed to know well enough that he wrote to her expressing his apologies for her current state, and promising that the people who had done it to her were being adequately punished.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Whatever any of that meant.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She heard the lock turn and looked up. And then down again.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“You’re back!”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Apparently I do live here,” Irene said slowly. “Catherine, right?” Catherine’s shoulders slumped.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Yes.” She said dejectedly. “I thought that they would have… been able to help.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Evidently not.” Irene sighed and Catherine stepped back to let her into the house. “But apparently I have work that needs to be done no matter what is going on.” She’d have liked a bit more than two weeks, and two weeks being poked and prodded at that. She wasn't sleeping well with memories of Alberich’s Library still turning in her mind, so close and real to her and yet months ago to those around her.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Your room is upstairs and it’s the third one on the right,” Catherine said, locking the door behind her. “Kai is with Vale at the moment, I don’t know where they are or when they will be back.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Have they been leaving you alone a lot?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“The Library sent someone to make sure that I was still learning.” She shrugged. “She’s here too. You turned the attic into your own space and we used that to work in, so that’s where she has been using.” Irene just nodded, her head beginning to hurt.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Right.” She muttered. “Well, I would say that it is good to be back, but I don’t think I can.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">She followed Catherine’s directions, leaving her alone in the entryway as she walked upstairs and opened the right door and froze.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The room was easily bigger than any she’d ever had before. She had known that it was a big house, that was obvious from outside, but this was just ridiculous. The bed was easily double the size of the one that she slept in the Library, not a four-poster but as near to that level of extravagance as one could get without all of the drapery.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She set her case down on the edge of the bed and touched the sheets. She didn't even want to guess at the time and money spent putting this room together, it was almost ridiculous and definitely not what she would have chosen.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She turned to the wardrobe, far larger than she would need, and opened it up. It was about half full, more full than she would have expected and her dresses were sorted from casual day dresses to the more extravagant evening gowns that she apparently needed. She recognised the black dress that she’d worn the night before Kai’s kidnapping and combed her fingers along the soft fabric.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Oh good. You are here finally.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Bradamant,” Irene said as she turned to face the woman in the doorway. “Of course they sent you.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I helped with the treaty and know the world.” Bradamant shrugged. “Anyway, I have a lot of things to fill you in on apparently. So once you are sorted out, I will be in the study downstairs.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Bradamant?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Yes?” She sighed.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Who’s house is this really? Did Kai’s family sort it out because this-" she waved a hand around the room. “Is really not my style.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I believe that you and the prince took care of the vast majority of it.” Bradamant said. “I don’t know how involved you were upstairs but I do believe you sorted the study out at the very least.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">Irene looked at the very large bed, trying to not recall Kai’s lips on hers as she came too. He’d been silent the entire return to London and she had gone straight into the Library, but it had been hard to ignore the glances that he shot her, the broken look in his eyes.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She probably hadn't been alone in such a large bed.</p><p class="first-line-indent">And it wasn't that, from her memories, that hadn't been something that she’d been opposed to. Apparently, he was no longer her student, which took care of one of the larger hang-ups, but he was still a dragon. That was still a major complication.</p><p class="first-line-indent">When had she stopped caring about that?</p><p class="first-line-indent">When had she allowed herself to stop being so scared and to accept his affections?</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I’ll be downstairs soon.” She said softly.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I will make coffee.” The case only contained a few things, clothes in the Library that fitted the worlds aesthetic, or the aesthetic that she remembered, fashion styles could move fast but besides from fitting in, she didn't really care about that. There was a book, which she put on her bedside table, and a nightdress which was shoved underneath a pillow.</p><p class="first-line-indent">There were a good eight pillows on the bed. She never slept with that many. That would just make her neck hurt.</p><p class="first-line-indent">She found some slippers underneath the bed and she exchanged her boots for those before she went in search of the bathroom to put her toiletries away.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The bathroom was big too, with a large claw foot bathtub that could probably fit two people in, with a shower overhead, she was glad of that. There was a cupboard above the sink that she opened and revealed neat rows of various products. She recognised Kai’s but none of the others, so she just put them in empty spaces and left it at that.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The house was quiet as she went back downstairs, Catherine having vanished into one of the rooms upstairs, but Bradamant had left the door to the study open. There was a sense of immediate comfort when she stepped inside.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The walls were filled with bookcases, floor to ceiling where they could be, the ample space meant that the books hadn't been crammed into every little space and there was even room for knick-knacks too.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Bradamant was sat on an armchair underneath a large sash window and she got up as Irene came in.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“That’s your desk there, I have been trying to work through the letters that have been building up whilst you were away but between that and Catherine and everything else, not much has been done, I’m afraid.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Everything else?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Silver has interrupted at least four times in the last week.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Oh, he’s still around?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Catherine is his niece, I don’t think we can stop him from checking in on her if we tried to, short of killing him, obviously.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Obviously.” Irene echoed.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Anyway. I will be here for a few more weeks to make sure that you aren't in too far over your head.” Irene waited for the insult. “The Prince and madam Sterrington will be by, there are weekly meetings to discuss- What’s wrong?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Sterrington as in the Fae who worked for Lord Guantes?” Irene demanded.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I don’t know? Yes, I think so? Does it matter?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“She hit me with a taser.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“You did blow up her hand.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“The taser happened first and I didn't mean to do that to… is Kai okay with all of this? She helped the people who kidnapped him?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“You have been working with her for a few months now, so I suppose so. And you did both approve of her being the third member of the embassy, so at some point, you both decided that you were okay with her.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">Irene rubbed her forehead.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Okay?” She said slowly. “What else am I missing? Other than… I don’t know how.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“To my knowledge, nothing,” Bradamant said. “I am sure that in these past months you have caused a lot of chaos but I was not made privy to that. I know what I need to know and have told you that. I am sure that the prince can fill you in on other more <em>personal</em> things.” Irene did not like the way that Bradamant stressed the word personal.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Irene threw herself down into her desk chair and picked up the cup of coffee that Bradamant had made for her. She burnt her tongue on it.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Are you… alright?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Are you?” Irene shot back before she had the chance to stop herself from snapping. She expected Bradamant to snap straight back at her with some cutting insult, but she didn't. She just arched a brow.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Yes, I am.” She said slowly.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I don’t remember you ever being this cordial unless you wanted something.” Bradamant’s laugh was cold. “I don’t remember any debts owed, so if there is a favour or something that I owe you, I think it’s probably null and void.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“It would probably shock you to know that we are- we were- on speaking terms and were relatively polite to the other. The last email you sent me asked how I was doing, which I think is a first.” It was Irene’s turn to arch a brow, it didn't look as good as it had done on Bradamant’s face, less elegant and more mildly confused.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Oh dear lord, I mellowed?” Irene asked before burning her tongue again. Bradamant’s laughter was genuine that time.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“That you have. You mellowed out a bit. I know, I was horrified too and I entirely blame the prince for that. Catherine probably isn't helping though.” Bradamant blew on her own cup of tea, a small puff of steam floating up into the air.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“What has happened?” Irene asked.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I don’t know much.” Bradamant sounded pained to admit ignorance. “After Alberich’s Library, I didn't see you for a few months and”- Irene visible cringed. “How recent was that for you?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Three weeks?” Irene asked, her voice cracking. “I think. I don’t… it’s hard to work it out.” Bradamant went to say something, and then shut her mouth again and leant back in her seat.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Ah.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Ah, indeed,” Irene said softly, she put her coffee down. “How long ago was that?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Six months give or take.” Bradamant almost sounded sorry. “I think that maybe mister Vale or the prince are better at filling you in on what you missed. Unless you are the kind to keep a diary?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Hardly.” Irene snorted, suddenly feeling incredibly tired like she had been drained of all of her energy. She tapped her fingers on the desk. “What am I meant to do now?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I don’t know.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">
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</p><p class="first-line-indent">Vale watched Kai as the other man stared out of the cab window. Kai knew that Vale was watching him, but he didn't say anything, just shut his eyes and rested his forehead on the window. “What if she doesn't remember any of it still?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I don’t know,” Vale admitted. “I can tell you of the science, of people who have suffered from amnesia, of what they do afterwards. But I cannot tell you what will happen to you, or to her.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">It was a conversation that they’d had countless times. Kai pacing the carpet of Vale’s study, fretting over Irene with nothing that anyone had to say helping to calm him. The shock of her anger after she’d just woken up had shaken him and he was yet to get past the tone in which she had scalded him, or asked who Catherine was.</p><p class="first-line-indent">The cab pulled up outside of the house and Vale was the first out. Kai moved slowly, almost reluctantly, taking the time to thank and pay the driver, wishing him a nice day before turning back to the door, already opened by Vale.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Catherine had seen them arriving from her bedroom window and trotted down the stairs. “Irene’s back.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I know,” Kai said softly. “Where is she?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“She was talking to madame Bradamant for a while but I think she’s currently in your, well, her room,” Kai slowly nodded. “She’s not better. She’s still missing the memories.” He paused for a moment, pulling his coat off, before visibly shaking himself.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Okay,” He said when it very much was not okay. “How are you doing?” Catherine shrugged and he arched a brow. Bradamamnt seemed a passable teacher but she didn't really care about Catherine’s well being, so that responsibility, in his opinion, fell to him.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“It’s hard. She looked at me like she saw right through me,” She folded her arms across her middle. “She had to double-check what my name was.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">Vale clapped Kai on the shoulder as he looked at the stairs. “I’ll put the kettle on,” He said as if tea could fix all of their problems. If only it was that easy and sitting down with some tea would change it all back to how it was before.</p><p class="first-line-indent">Irene was sat on the edge of the bed, looking out of the window, watching as the sun began to set, painting Regent’s park in a pink glow. She jumped when he tapped on the door, having left it wide open.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Mind if I join you?” He asked as she turned to look at him.</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Not really,” She shrugged. “Did I hear Vale?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“HE’s making some tea.” Kai nodded and sat next to her, looking out of the window, he wasn't sure if he’d be able to hold it together if he looked at her, Catherine was right, having her look at him the way she was, was almost disturbing and most definitely upsetting. “How are you doing?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I’m tired,” Irene replied. “Hard to sleep when you are getting poked and prodded to see what is wrong with you,” She tilted her head to the side a little bit. “This is the wrong bed, I didn't know that we had moved house and, you know when you stay in a hotel and you kind of miss your own bed?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Yes, and then you got here and it’s still the wrong bed?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Exactly.” She nodded. “I didn't pick this bed, did I?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“You gave me free rein over the upstairs as long as I left the study and lounge to you,” He had a gentle smile. “Apparently my attempts to organise the books was frustrating you.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Did you buy the biggest bed that you could find?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Not quite the biggest?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“And how long were we sleeping together for?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I was wondering when you would ask me that.” He looked at his hands. “We had, were? I don’t… we started a romantic relationship nearly five months ago. It wasn't just physical.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Oh.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“That surprises you?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I have never been good at those kinds of relationships, being open is… hard. Were we happy?”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Very.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“I’m sorry.”</p><p class="first-line-indent">“Yeah. Me too.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It can only get better. <br/>Right?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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